How do you clean a violin?

Answer 1

http://www.violinstudent.com/care.html

Every time you play the viollin you should wipe it down with a lint-free cloth. The object is to remove the rosin which builds up on the strings, the belly of the violin, the fingerboard and the stick of the bow. You also want to wipe it clean of sweat and oils from your skin. If I've been a bad boy and haven't wiped the instrument down in two or three playings I've been known to use a damp cloth very, v-e-r-y gently on the belly of the instrument. But I don't do that very often, and if you tell my teacher from elementary school that I'll deny having said it! And frankly, there have been times where it seemed that the damp cloth actually made matters worse.

But what if you need more cleaning than a dry cloth can provide? I recommend using a violin cleaner formulated specifically for instruments. DO NOT USE A FURNITURE CLEANER OR POLISH! You want to be careful not to damage the varnish. Only use commercial cleaners if there is an obvious problem, and then not very often. Maybe once every six months...you really shouldn't need to do it more than that. Every time you use a commercial cleaner, use a violin polish to protect the finish again. If wiping the instrument clean and the gentle use of a commercial violin cleaner doesn't do the job it is, in my opinion, time to go to a luthier.

When you put the violin in the case use a violin blanket or a clean cloth to cover the violin and protect it from the rosin on the bow. It doesn't make a lot of sense to clean the violin, then put it right back into contact with the rosin!

Hope this gets you started in the right direction. Questions? Contact me.

Answer 2

with a clean dry cloth.. unless there is something sticky on it, then i would use a clean damp cloth keep a dry one handy to wipe the thing dry after..

Answer 3

Very carefully.

Answer 4

http://www.chrisbsmusic.com/strinincaran.html


violin care and maintenance