How do I clean my fretboard when changing strings?

A string change is the easiest time to clean the fretboard, because nothing is in the way. Grime builds up along the fret edges and in the middle of the board, where your fingers spend the most time.

First, know your board:

• Unfinished (bare wood): usually a darker board. It looks matte and feels dry or slightly open-grained. Clean and condition it with oil.
• Finished: usually a lighter board with a gloss or satin coating. Treat it like the body and use polish, not oil.

Steps for an unfinished board:

1. Remove the strings and lay the guitar on a soft, flat surface with the neck supported.
2. Wipe the board with a dry microfiber cloth to remove loose dust.
3. Put a few drops of Lemon Oil or Orange Oil on the cloth, not directly on the board.
4. Rub along each fret, working the cloth into the edges of the fret where grime gathers.
5. Let it sit for a minute, then buff off all the excess with a dry part of the cloth.

Use oil sparingly. Once or twice a year is enough for most boards. On a finished board, use our Guitar Polish (GP-4) on the cloth instead. Our kits pair each liquid with a cloth: GPPLC, LMNPLC2 and ORGPLC2.