Knowing how to clean guitar strings can help keep them feeling smooth and sounding good for longer. Fresh guitar strings have a bright, clear sound and feel smooth under your fingers. But over time, that changes.
Every time you play, your fingers leave sweat, oil, and general grime. They build up on the strings, and before long they feel rough under your fingers and sound a bit dull. A regular clean helps them feel and sound better for longer. It takes a few minutes, and it’s a habit well worth picking up.
Keeping your strings clean can also make your guitar feel nicer to play. As a guitar teacher, I encourage my students to pay attention to how their guitar feels and sounds. You can often notice when something doesn’t feel quite right.
Why Do Guitar Strings Get Dirty?
A few things affect how quickly your strings start to sound and feel different.
The biggest one is simply how much you play. The more you play, the more oil and sweat your hands pass on to the strings.
Where you keep your guitar matters too. Humidity and moisture can affect your strings over time, so it’s a good idea to store your guitar somewhere dry and suitable.
Then there’s the fact that everyone’s hands are different. Some people’s sweat and skin oils can cause strings to wear out faster than others. It’s why two students can put on the same brand of strings on the same day and find themselves restringing at completely different times. It’s just how their hands work.
Every set of strings has to be replaced eventually. Cleaning won’t make them last forever, but it can help you get more use from them.
How Often Should I Clean My Guitar Strings?
The easiest habit is to wipe your strings down when you’ve finished playing. It matters most after a long session, or if your hands tend to sweat. Every now and then, when the strings start feeling sticky, rough or grubby, give them a more thorough clean.
Think of wiping the strings as your regular maintenance. You can use a cleaning product when they need a more thorough clean.
Before you pick up the guitar, wash your hands. Soap and water is all you need. Clean hands mean less oil, sweat and grime being transferred to the strings in the first place.
What You Need
Here is all you need:
- A soft, clean, lint-free cloth
- A guitar string cleaning product, if you’d like to use one
For everyday wiping, a dry cloth does the job. If you do want to use a cleaning product, make sure it’s made specifically for guitar strings, and follow the instructions on the packaging.
Different types of guitar strings can also change as they get older. Acoustic, electric and classical guitars use different types of strings, so always make sure any cleaning product you use is suitable for the strings on your particular guitar.
How to Clean Your Guitar Strings
Here are the steps I follow:
1. Place the guitar securely
Lay the guitar on its back on a clean, soft surface.
2. Use a soft cloth
Slip a clean, lint-free cloth underneath the strings, then fold it over the top so the strings sit snugly between the two sides.
3. Wipe along the strings
Now gently slide the cloth along the length of each string. You’re lifting off the sweat, oil and grime, so there’s no need to scrub. A gentle but thorough wipe is plenty. Spend a little extra time on the parts of the strings where your fingers do most of their work.
4. Use a string cleaner if needed
If you’re using a cleaning product, put it on the cloth as the instructions say, not straight onto the guitar. Then wipe the strings the same way as before. Try to keep the product off the guitar’s finish, particularly if the product isn’t designed to be used on the guitar itself. D’Addario’s guide to cleaning guitar strings also provides some useful string-care tips.
Can Cleaning Your Strings Really Make a Difference?
Clean strings feel smoother under your fingers and hold onto their fresh sound for longer.
This is especially helpful when you’re learning guitar. If your strings feel smooth and your notes and chords sound clear, you’re able to concentrate on your playing rather than fighting against strings that feel unpleasant under your fingers.
But cleaning has its limits. If your strings have gone very dull, rough or corroded, or they just won’t stay in tune, a wipe isn’t going to bring them back. If they also feel unusually stiff or uncomfortable compared with when they were new, that’s another sign that it’s probably time for a new set.
Not sure which ones to buy? Have a look at our guide to which guitar strings should you use?.
A Simple Guitar-Care Habit
Looking after your guitar strings is a small part of taking care of your instrument. A few minutes of care now and then can help keep your guitar feeling good to play and your strings sounding their best.
If you’re learning guitar and would like advice about strings, guitar care or anything else to do with your instrument, have a look at our guitar lessons.