Summer has come to an end and it is time to give your instrument a cleaning and maintenance. Before launching into it, it is convenient to do a little review.
How deteriorated is our guitar?
Sudden changes in temperature and humidity can negatively affect your instrument, but with a little inspection we can detect and resolve many of them.
With the guitar in your hands slide your thumb and forefinger over the edge of the fretboard, if you notice the ends of the frets sticking out then the wood has contracted, too much air has caused the wood to contract.
We have two possibilities, to use a humidifier inside the case of our guitar or to use a humidifier for the room where we have the instrument, either of them is good to get the right atmosphere.
It is important not to spend too much time in very dry environments otherwise it will cause chips and cracks, especially in the fretboard and tops of classical and acoustic guitars.
The opposite case of very high humidity can also loosen the guitar, misadjust the height of the strings, the neck that is too concave or convex, etc. The best thing would be to take it to a luthier for a good adjustment and have the instrument ready to play.
Time to start deep cleaning the guitar
At this stage it is advisable to use the cleaner, which can be used on all surfaces of the guitar, as it is fully compatible, even with nitrocellulose finishes.
Use a microfibre cloth and apply a small amount of polish, then wipe the surface of the guitar until it is dry and free of cleaner residue to achieve a superior shine, cleanliness and protection.
If you want information about how to clean the tuning fork, more specifically, click on this article.
Pay special attention to the areas that are most difficult to access and where dust and dirt tend to accumulate, such as under the strings in the bridge area or the areas where the arm rubbing is most intense.
Finally, after the general cleaning it is advisable to use any of the oils available on the market to nourish the wood of our fretboard in case it is not varnished.
How often to repeat this cleaning?
The surfaces of the guitar should be cleaned every time we play, in order to avoid the accumulation of dirt and damage to any area or component of the guitar. It is highly recommended to always keep the guitar in its case when it is not in use and to carry out a thorough cleaning every time the strings are changed.
Tip: Clean the guitar with clean strings, you will be able to better access all the corners of the guitar and treat the neck properly Tip: Clean the guitar with clean strings, you can better access all the corners of the guitar and treat the neck properly.
