I'm about to gift a couple of ukes and would like to clean them up. One has a gloss finish and the other satin. They're both in good shape, but I would like to remove the very light marks on the body that light use has put on them. I've always used a slightly damp cloth but wondered if there are other, perhaps better approaches. Any thoughts?
Your Favorite Ukulele Cleaning Method
- Thread starter Ed1
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Buying a new one.
Just kidding.
I semi-regularly simply wipe my ukes with a microfibre cloth after playing to keep them more or less clean. Usually satin finishes don't even require anything else. Gloss finishes are more prone to getting guff stuck on it. Usually I do what you do, i.e., just use a damp cloth. I haven't gotten any of my ukes so dirty that they'd need some sort of product but if I did I'd probably use the one from Music Nomad. They have some decent stuff overall for guitars and ukes and they have a cleaner for both types of finishes.
Just kidding.
I semi-regularly simply wipe my ukes with a microfibre cloth after playing to keep them more or less clean. Usually satin finishes don't even require anything else. Gloss finishes are more prone to getting guff stuck on it. Usually I do what you do, i.e., just use a damp cloth. I haven't gotten any of my ukes so dirty that they'd need some sort of product but if I did I'd probably use the one from Music Nomad. They have some decent stuff overall for guitars and ukes and they have a cleaner for both types of finishes.
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Microfiber cloths make a big difference. I generally use microfiber cloths with a small amount of very hot water on them. This can cut through very stubborn years-old finger grease on fretboards (the joys of repairing other people's instruments!).
As a general rule, I don't use solvents of any kind unless I am 100% dead certain I know the exact makeup of the finish that was applied to an instrument. There's just too much risk in an incompatible solvent ruining a finish. Especially on ukes, since there's a pretty wide variety of finishes used by different brands and makers that can look and feel similar, yet have different levels of resistance to common solvents.
I also generally avoid any sort of polish, oil, wax, or other product that is intended to add shine or "protect" a finish, since it's pretty common for them to cause problems down the road (i.e. interfere with repairs or refinish work).
As a general rule, I don't use solvents of any kind unless I am 100% dead certain I know the exact makeup of the finish that was applied to an instrument. There's just too much risk in an incompatible solvent ruining a finish. Especially on ukes, since there's a pretty wide variety of finishes used by different brands and makers that can look and feel similar, yet have different levels of resistance to common solvents.
I also generally avoid any sort of polish, oil, wax, or other product that is intended to add shine or "protect" a finish, since it's pretty common for them to cause problems down the road (i.e. interfere with repairs or refinish work).
If it's never, try a little https://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/dunlop-fretboard-65-ultimate-lemon-oil on the fretboard. It'll make it look like new.
To apply, loosen strings, wipe on (just a little goes a long way); do not use too much.
To apply, loosen strings, wipe on (just a little goes a long way); do not use too much.
Nickie
Well-known member
Spit on it and wipe it off with my sleeve. Nobody else picks up my ukes!
I use a microfiber cloth and gently give my ukes a gentle wipe down.
If I inadvertently got some food or other schmutz on one of them, I use a barely damp cloth to clean it and then make sure it's completely dry afterward. Be very careful that the damp does not reach the sound hole, the insides of the body, some bridges, or the fretboard. Because usually, none of these parts have a finish on them. If that doesn't get it off, I'll use a little Music Nomad Guitar Detailer for Matte and Gloss Finishes. It's a cleaner and light polish.
If I inadvertently got some food or other schmutz on one of them, I use a barely damp cloth to clean it and then make sure it's completely dry afterward. Be very careful that the damp does not reach the sound hole, the insides of the body, some bridges, or the fretboard. Because usually, none of these parts have a finish on them. If that doesn't get it off, I'll use a little Music Nomad Guitar Detailer for Matte and Gloss Finishes. It's a cleaner and light polish.
ghostrdr
Well-known member
I like the music nomad stuff. Works well and smells nice. Supposedly safe on gloss or matte finishes.
Microfibre cloth and a very soft paintbrush for any dust around the nut and saddle. I have some Planet Waves Lemon oil which I used to use on a Mya Moe and a satin finish KoAloha I had once. That did make them look like new. One bottle of that will last a lifetime.
When I change strings, I wipe them down with lemon oil, especially the fretboard, been doing this for years. Just wipe on and wipe off, I've used it on everything from an old Martin to new Kanile'a and Martin Iz, matte finishes. It will clean gloss with no problem too. Just wipe it off the body right away, won't hurt to let soak on the fretboard a little.
Thanks for everyone's ideas. I'll only throw the carbon fiber ones in the washing machine. I'm surprised no one mentioned course sandpaper as a way to remove any smudges .
The small amount of very hot water, staying away from the sound hole, and getting a soft brush were helpful . This is the year to move some ukes out of the house.
.The small amount of very hot water, staying away from the sound hole, and getting a soft brush were helpful . This is the year to move some ukes out of the house.
Bill Sheehan
Well-known member
Hope you all don't mind me slipping in a supplemental question here: I noticed yesterday, when I had all of the strings off of my Martin S-0 (soprano), that the "polished" look of some of the frets had dulled a little, due to frequent use (first-position area mostly). Is there a safe way to buff those frets a little without wearing down the fret wire material?
ripock
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Most days I apply an ounce of prevention by not playing with sticky fingers
badhabits
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tarnishing is often inevitable, in certain climates. last time it did it I used a piece of Cape cod cloth that I had lying around, which has a fine metal polish (used for jewelry, watches, etc). as you mentioned, you don't want something too abrasive. also suggest protecting the wood fretboard, either with one of those cheap little protectors or masking tape
Well, I might try the "polish and shine" part of one of these nail files first. I can't imagine it hurting anything if it didn't work. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RXRDLR8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
In a video, I saw James Hill used one on his nails so I bought the 12 pack. (When I grow up, I want to be James Hill. :music
Stew Mac sells fret "erasers" to remove tarnish from frets. Look like a regular rectangular (trapezoidal?) pencil eraser. And you use it on the fretwire to remove the tarnish and polish the metal. I think there are two or three levels of grit you can get.
www.stewmac.com
www.stewmac.com
Any non-abrasive metal polish will work fine to remove tarnish on your frets. You should mask off the fretboard before using any messy product (that's the real benefit of the eraser style, you can just use one of the simple slotted fretboard protectors). If you want a liquid polish alternative to the erasers, you can pick up a tube of Frine fret polish at most music stores (or Amazon).
A white scotchbrite pad will also easily remove tarnishon frets. You can use them similarly to how the erasers are used. They're available in many hardware stores. The pads are also good to use on very stubborn fretboard grime if you need something more aggressive than a microfiber cloth.
A white scotchbrite pad will also easily remove tarnishon frets. You can use them similarly to how the erasers are used. They're available in many hardware stores. The pads are also good to use on very stubborn fretboard grime if you need something more aggressive than a microfiber cloth.
You can lightly buff the frets with 000 (I've tested) or 0000 (I've not tested) steel wool. I've done the 000 steel wool on guitar frets a few years ago to remove corrosion , and the result was excellent. Having that experience, i.e. seeing how easily the frets shined up, I'm wondering if 0000 would have worked.
As an alternative, from experience, you can use the lemon oil I posted. Let it soak for a minute on any crud (no matter how stubborn), and it will wipe off easily. I think it is "like dissolves like" from chemistry; just plain water doesn't work.
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