How do I clean dust from my electric guitar?

Question

My guitar gets dusty quick. I don't know which products are best to use. Also, how do i get under the strings without taking the strings off, or breaking them?

Thanks

I have tried blowing. It barely works.. I play every day quite alot. I have a stand for it AND a case. It still gets dusty. Grrr.

Also.. where do you get cans of air in England?

Answer 1

The best way is with a dry cloth... but if you want it can be very slightly damp... it is always very hard to clean under the strings without taking them off.. it is a good idea to change them every 4-8 weeks depending on how much you play anyway so make sure the next time you do change them you clean between the frets and next to the bridge real well. Try keeping your guitar in it's case or bag when not playing and that should keep a lot of the dust off.

Answer 2

I've used lemon Pledge on my instruments for a very long time to keep the dust off. A repairman recommended that to me when I asked him for the same advice on my saxophone and flute. However, I only put it on my saxophone, clarinet, French horn, etc. (metal and plastic insturments only). I don't put it on my oboe because aside from the fact that it's very expensive, it's also wood, and I don't know how the Pledge would affect it. I also do not put Pledge on my violins or cello because those are wood as and I do not want to destroy the finish. If you do try this on your guitar, definitely do not get the Pledge on the strings! I don't know if Pledge in particular would harm them, but I know that many things do, and so there's a good chance that it could. I am sorry I could not have been of more help; I don't know much about cleaning guitars, but I have play many other instruments and perhaps some of the same cleaning techniques could carry over. For example, I assume your electric guitar is plastic, and my clarinet is plastic. I use lemon Pledge on my clarinet, and it doesn't harm it. The repairman said that when people pay him to clean instruments, that's what he uses: lemon Pledge.

As for getting under the strings, I'd recommend a q-tip. That's how I clean my woodwind, brass, and string instruments in the more delicate or hard to reach parts.

Answer 3

Get a wet washcloth, not too wet of a washcloth. Wipe the guitar vertically, not horizontally so that way if you wanna clean a guitar, you have to dust it properly and accurately! But, it you don't clean your guitar properly, your guitar will look like, but, no offense, it would look like ****!! But always keep your instruments real nice and clean so that you can take a lot of responsibility of cleaning your own musical instruments and treat them like they are a member of your very own "musical" family!

Answer 4

Your guitar will get dusty if you leave it out. The only way to solve it is to keep it in it's case when you're not using it. I use one of those dust magnet clothes like Swifer Sweepers. Pass it under your strings and move it back and forth like you're shining a shoe. you can also use a Q-tip to into the tight spots around the bridge and nut.
If you're like me and you like to have your guitar always ready to play on it's stand, you can also try using a big pillow case over it when you're not using it. You can even embroider it and fancy it up to make it look neat.

Answer 5

You Should Keep Cleaning Even With A Tissue Paper .

Answer 6

You might do best with a can of compressed air. Although, let's get to the source of this. Why aren't you playing it enough to keep the dust off? :) Just kidding. My acoustic is out and gets dusty too.

Answer 7

hi there i too am a down to earth guitarist so its my pleasure helping u out. before dusting ur guitar its always best to blow off the dust using a blower or even an hair drier to avoid scratches.after doing this u can just use a normal soft duster to clean and spark ur ur tool. u can also get ur guitar polished with dust resitant warnish later on if urs a wooden one like mine. happy guitaring...............................if u want some chords plz do contact me

Answer 8

A paint brush works well. I'd consider getting a case for it if you don't play often. O wouldn't use the canned air as it also expels moisture which can tarnish and wear your strings much faster.

Answer 9

Go to office depot and get yourself an air can. You can use anti-static cloths to dry wipe your guitar to prevent dust from collecting on it so easily.

Answer 10

Get air in a can. It works wonders. It's about $5 at Wal-mart.