Too many guitarists neglect to clean and maintain their guitar regularly. Some just don't see the need for it, while others skimp on daily maintenance until problems arise that prevent them from playing. Take a look at this step-by-step guide to caring for your guitar if want to keep it sounding good as new.

Daily Guitar Care

The secret to good guitar maintenance is adopting some daily habits that will cut down on your workload in the long run. These everyday tasks may seem unnecessary or even annoying to keep up with, but once you get in the habit they will become second nature. Add these to your everyday routine to keep your instrument sounding and looking great:

1. Wash your hands before playing. This simple step solves a lot of problems. Most of the dirt that accumulates on your fretboard and strings comes from the oil and sweat that's on your hands. If you don't want to worry about cleaning it off all the time, just wash your hands before you pick up the guitar - problem solved!
   
   
2. Wipe down strings after each use. Even if you do wash your hands they are bound to get sweaty during extended jam sessions. Make it a habit to wipe down your strings with a clean cloth each time you're done playing. This simple routine prevents the accumulation of oil and dirt that keeps your guitar from sounding stellar.
   
   
3. Keep your guitar away from extreme temperatures. The best environment for your guitar is in a cool, dry place - but not too dry. Humidity levels should be around 40% or you risk cracking and damaging your instrument. Room temperature is fine for most instruments, just make sure that the guitar isn't being kept near a radiator or air conditioning vent. Extreme temperatures and guitars do not mix well.
   
   
4. Use a guitar case, stand, or wall hanger when you're not playing. Too many preventable dings and dents have resulted from a guitar falling over after being leaned against furniture. Don't take any chances - buy a case, guitar stand or wall-hanger to protect your instrument from damage. Just one fall can permanently affect the sound quality of your guitar.
   
   

Step-By-Step Guitar Cleaning

If you're keeping up with everyday maintenance then you won't have to worry about heavy duty cleaning too often. However, it's still nice to give your guitar a full-body workover every now and again. Since a good cleaning requires you to remove the strings, it's a good idea to perform this cleaning ritual each time you're changing your strings. Changing your strings is an important part of maintenance anyway, so everything works out nicely.

1. Remove the strings from your guitar. This gives you easy access to the fretboard and headstock.
   
   
2. Clean the fretboard. Aside from your strings, the fretboard is going to be the main target of dirt, oil, grease and grime that accumulates while you play.  If your fretboard is relatively clean (or if hasn't been long since your last major cleaning session), simply wiping the board down with a clean cloth should get rid of most debris. If the fretboard is dirtier, use a damp (not soaking wet!) cloth instead. Caked on dirt and other tough jobs call for a quick rub down with some extra fine steel wool. If the fretboard appears dried out, you may want to rub a few drops of mineral oil into it about once per year.
   
   
3. If you have an acoustic guitar, clean the soundhole. Nothing traps dust and debris like a giant hole right above your strumming hand! To clear out any dust that has built up, just take a cloth and rub the inside of the soundhole. If your tone has been suffering as a result of dirt, a quick once-over will make it clean and sharp again.
   
   
4. Clean all metal components. There are some types of metal cleaning solutions designed especially for guitar, but these products aren't always necessary. In most cases a bit of soapy water or even some household glass cleaner is enough to remove dirt and oil from the metal pieces of your guitar.
   
   
5. Polish the body with guitar polish. There is no shortage of guitar polishing products out there, and most of them do a great job. Take a clean cloth and polish small sections of the body at a time to ensure that you aren't simply re-distributing the dirt. Any problem areas that your hands or fingers frequently touch might require some special attention. Make sure to follow the directions on the bottle exactly, or you risk getting polish into nooks and crannies it shouldn't be in.
   
   
6. Re-string the guitar. If you need help re-stringing the guitar, check out our video: How to String A Guitar.
   
   
7. Enjoy your shiny new guitar!