Do you wipe down your ukulele after playing?

clear · Sep 11, 2020

Hi,

I noticed this in the Kanilea warranty exclusions (section d):

(d) to asserted defects or damage ... caused by ... body salts or acids, ...;

I've been playing my ukuleles without wiping, and I only clean it before playing when the accumulated crud becomes too thick. Besides possibly being a little disgusting, I didn't see any harm as I believe the finish will surely protect the instrument from sweat.

Of course, I _WANT_ to wipe it down after every play as the old crud usually requires scraping with a credit card (i.e. more work) and I enjoy picking up a fresh ukulele; _BUT_ usually I find myself just hanging up the ukulele after playing or grabbing a ukulele to play immediately. There's just no time to clean it.

Now, it seems, body salt may damage ukulele's finish; or maybe it is just a problem for Kanilea's finish.

So, do you wipe down your ukulele after playing it? Be honest!
(I can't be the only one deferring cleaning/maintenance.)

rainbow21 · Sep 11, 2020

I do not. I generally do not have a lot of body oils.

I tend to wipe them down when I notice dust more than any oil.

Nickie · Sep 12, 2020

Yes and no. Not my wooden guys, they get a "bath" and polish at every string change.
Our plastic ukes, yes! They get touched by a multitude of people.

JJFN · Sep 12, 2020

Yes. I keep a cloth in each uke case. I wipe down after each time I play the uke. Start with the strings, and then move to the body of the instrument. Then wipe down the neck.

Larry U · Sep 12, 2020

I keep a microfiber cloth next to my uke-playing chair and give a quick wipedown when I'm done for the day. All but one of my instruments are high gloss and are fingerprint magnets, so this keeps them looking civilized.

Joyful Uke · Sep 12, 2020

JJFN said:
Yes. I keep a cloth in each uke case. I wipe down after each time I play the uke. Start with the strings, and then move to the body of the instrument. Then wipe down the neck.

This is exactly what I do as well.

ripock · Sep 12, 2020

articulated answer: of course not.

stevejfc · Sep 12, 2020

Always. Microfiber cloth in each case...wipe down takes little more than 15 seconds.

benjamin_b · Sep 12, 2020

stevejfc said:
Always. Microfiber cloth in each case...wipe down takes little more than 15 seconds.

Same here. I always wipe down my use after each time I play even if it's a satin finish instrument. I always take good care of my instruments!

Benji

Jan D · Sep 12, 2020

Snargle said:
I keep a microfiber cloth next to my uke-playing chair and give a quick wipedown when I'm done for the day. All but one of my instruments are high gloss and are fingerprint magnets, so this keeps them looking civilized.

I do this as well.

Kenn2018 · Sep 12, 2020

Well the simple answer is: "Depends."

I usually have very dry hands. No sweat. Few oils. I have to use hand lotion almost every day. On rare occasions I sweat if it's hot and humid, or I have to hump my uke and accessories a fair distance to perform.

I do keep a microfiber cloth in my gig bag and usually one in my tenor case. That's most often a semi-hard UkeCrazy foam/canvas case.

I will wipe down a high gloss finish to get rid of fingermarks and smudges.

Ukes with polyurethane finishes are far less susceptible to body salts and oils damage than nitrocellulose or oil finishes. But unfinished fingerboards and satin necks are vulnerable.

Dbhughes · Sep 12, 2020

I Always wipe quickly after playing, carry over from decades of plying electric guitar. I also wipe strings with a quick spray of “Finger ease” a product I think every stringed instrument player should try.

RafterGirl · Sep 12, 2020

Should I ......probably.
Do I ......rarely.

Dohle · Sep 12, 2020

I certainly don't wipe a uke every time but I have a microfiber cloth for each uke in their case that I use maybe every third time after playing, particularly with gloss finished ukes. For satin finishes, maybe a not quite as often. Of course if it's summer and I sweat more then I'll probably wipe the uke more often.

Cleaning cloths are cheap. I wouldn't worry about cleaning obsessively but you should probably take care of your instrument every now and then. Scraping muck from a uke sounds a bit disgusting, no offence.

Counter · Sep 12, 2020

Not every time but often. More in the summer probably.

Ms Bean · Sep 12, 2020

My frequently played ukes I'll wipe down more often, once or twice a week. Those I only play occasionally, get that kind of tlc occasionally as well.
Every uke has a cloth in the bag, but some cloths are almost new.

ksiegel · Sep 12, 2020

Sometimes.

Maiden Uke · Sep 12, 2020

Definitely! Every time I finish playing.

rainbow21 · Sep 12, 2020

Hmmm... 14 to 14 right now. Looks like a divide in our world between red and blue.

Doug W · Sep 12, 2020

Have to say no because I only wipe down a uke occasionally. My wife is a hospice chaplain so she wipes down her OUTDOOR uke with disinfectant when she plays music with patients.

In theory I believe that wiping down your uke or guitar or mandolin often is a good practice but so is throwing away all that extra crap in the garage and the basement but that only happens once in a blue moon.

Do you wipe down your ukulele after playing?

Do you wipe sweat off your ukulele after playing?

No

Yes

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