Best Guitar Cleaners and Polishes – Protect your guitar’s finish and enhance its looks with our expert guide to the best guitar cleaners and polishes. Find the perfect products for acoustic, electric, and bass guitars.
Best Guitar Cleaners and Polishes
This Guitar Bomb guide will help you keep your guitar pristine with the best guitar cleaners and polishes. Our comprehensive guide enables you to choose the right products for your instrument.
They will help to preserve your guitar’s finish, prevent corrosion, and enhance its playability. These specialist products easily protect your guitar investment.
They remove dirt, grime, and fingerprints and restore your instrument’s shine.
MusicNomad Guitar Polish
MusicNomad Guitar Polish is a popular and affordable product designed for glossy finishes. Its microfine polishing paste nourishes shines and protects the guitar.
It can also remove hardware oxidation and help restore faded hardware finishes.
Perfect for Gloss finishes
This product contains no aggressive chemicals, silicone, or wax and is perfect for any guitar with a gloss finish. A 120ml/ 4oz bottle will last long as you only need a small amount for each application.
Be careful when using any cleaner or polish on gold hardware or gold plating, as some plating is very thin, depending on the manufacturer and country of manufacture. We recommend you test a small area first, as not all gold plating is equal in quality and thickness. However, chrome and nickel plating is okay to polish and should not be affected similarly, as they are far more robust.
- MusicNomad Guitar Polish at Andertons
- MusicNomad Guitar Polish at Gear4Music
- MusicNomad Guitar Polish at Thomann
Dunlop Formula 65
Dunlop Formula 65 is a combined cleaner and polish. The 118 ml (4 oz) bottle will last a long time, and the smaller 1 0z bottles have a spray applicator, making them handy for your gig bag.
It can also be purchased as a complete cleaning package as the Dunlop 6504 Formula 65 GuitarTech Kit.
Perfect for rehearsals
Formula 65 is a daily-use cleaner that doesn’t build up and buffs out quickly. It is ideal for post-practice, rehearsal, or gig cleaning.
We recommend this one if you need something to wipe down your guitar after a sweaty live performance or rehearsal session, as it is a convenient all-around cleaner.
Dr.Ducks Ax Wax
Dr.Ducks Ax Wax has similar properties to the Dunlop Formula 65 above and is excellent for guitar bodies fretboards, as a string cleaner, and for the care of metal parts.
However, it is best used at home, as the applicator requires squeezing the bottle, and it can be pretty messy if you are too heavy-handed. The trick with this one is to use a minimal amount, or you’ll have to try to buff it out for days.
For example, my bottle has lasted around 15 years and still has plenty left for another year (or two).
No Nasties
The 118ml / 4oz bottle contains no wax, abrasives, silicones, plastics, or acids. However, it is pretty oily to the touch, so as I mentioned above, use it sparingly.
I own many guitars, and this product works well on all finishes and buffs out nicely when used correctly. But it is not a product I recommend for your gig bag, as it may leak out of the bottle. However, for home use, it is excellent and will last years.
Monty’s Instrument Food
Monty’s Instrument Food is designed as a high-end finishing wax for your guitar. It was created by UK guitar wizard Matt Gleeson, who has produced this product using a special ingredient of locally sourced beeswax from London.
Rosewood Loves Monty’s
It is ideal for conditioning and sealing various raw woods and can even finish an entire guitar. Enjoy a velvety finish on natural wood necks and an ultra-smooth feel on rosewood fingerboards.
Montypresso Relic Wax
Monty’s Guitars also makes a Montypresso Relic Wax, ideal for darkening rosewood fretboards. The two products also work well together and are easy to apply, giving fantastic results!
Apply a generous amount to your desired area, leave for 5-10 minutes (longer for deeper penetration), then buff off with a clean cloth. For optimal results, repeat applications over time. The tins will last ages and give fantastic results if you are prepared to use a little elbow grease.
Aging
Montypresso has two primary uses: darkening open-grain fingerboards like rosewood or pao ferro to a vintage Brazilian rosewood look and aging the open-grain areas of necks and bodies for a well-worn appearance.
Fender Custom Shop Deluxe Guitar Care Kit
The Fender Custom Shop Deluxe Guitar Care Kit is a good ‘do-it-all’ package and contains everything you need to clean your favorite instrument. It provides a good selection of care products for your guitar, each designed to tackle a different area of your instrument.
A Bit of Everything
This four-step kit includes Cleaner, Polish, Quick Clean, and Fingerboard Remedy. These high-quality, silicone-free formulas keep your guitar looking its best.
- Fingerboard Remedy: Deep-cleansing citrus/beeswax formula removes dirt and grease.
- Quick Clean: Anti-static formula with UV protection for increased gloss and depth.
- Polish: Non-abrasive carnauba polish with UV filters for long-lasting shine.
- Cleaner: Ultra-fine polishing agents restore luster and remove smudges.
- Safe for all finishes: Nitrocellulose, plastic, and chrome.
The four 59 ml (2 oz) bottles will also fit nicely into most gig bags if you need to take them with you.
- Fender Custom Shop Deluxe Guitar Care Kit at Andertons
- Fender Custom Shop Deluxe Guitar Care Kit at Gear4Music
- Fender Custom Shop Deluxe Guitar Care Kit at Thomann
GHS Fast Fret
GHS Fast Fret is handy in your gig bag when you need to refresh your strings. It comes on a handy applicator and should be used before and after you play for the best results.
Lubricate your strings
Apply and wipe off. This easy-to-use formula keeps your strings clean, your fingers moving freely, and your guitar sounding its best. It is safe for frets and long-lasting.
If used properly, this stuff will prolong string life. I use this product daily, and the trick is to ensure you wipe it off correctly, or it will gunk up your fretboard.
Remember to clean off any excess from your strings well, and ensure the lid is firmly put back on when you have finished using it, or it will dry out.
Guitar Bomb’s Cleaning Tips
Always use cleaning products sparingly, and remove any excess cleaner or polish properly. Ideally, test a small area first, as vintage guitar nitrocellulose finishes and gold hardware are two prime examples of areas where you could easily damage a guitar if you aren’t sure what you are doing. If unsure, consult the manufacturer or a qualified professional luthier first.
Always read the instructions on the cleaning products and follow their guidelines.
Avoid using cleaning products that aren’t designed to clean guitars. These products may also contain harmful chemicals that could react with your guitar’s finish over time.
- Use a soft, lint-free cloth to wipe down the body, neck, and headstock gently.
- Remove any sweat, dirt, or grime that may have accumulated.
- Never use harsh chemicals like alcohol or solvents to clean your guitar.
- Store your guitar in a case or on a stand to protect it from dust and damage.
- Change your strings regularly to maintain optimal performance (old corroded strings can damage frets if left on for a long time, especially when the guitar is in a case)
- Consider taking your guitar to a professional luthier for a deep cleaning and setup every six months to a year.
More How To Guides on Guitar Bomb
- Tune Up Your Guitar: A DIY Guide to Truss Rod and Intonation
- Mastering Your Guitar Setup: A Beginner’s Guide
- How to set up a Gibson Les Paul and make it play like a dream
- How to set up your Stratocaster floating trem
This article may contain affiliate links to Gear4Music, Thomann, and Andertons that help finance the running costs of GuitarBomb. We will receive a small commission if you buy something through these links. Don’t worry; you pay the same price, and it costs you no extra to use these affiliate links for your purchases.
