For most of us guitar players, our trusty ‘axe’ is precious, and we’d be bereft if anything terrible happened to it. With this in mind, here are some useful tips on how to look after your guitar.

Blast it

Before you attack your axe with cleaning products, give it a blast of compressed air. Doing this blows away any dust or loose particles. Compressed air is often used to clean computer keyboards, and you can get hold of a can from hardware and office supply stores.

Wipe it

Don’t spray liquid on your guitar. You’ll damage the wood, and chemicals can wreck its finish. Instead, wipe your instrument down with a warm, damp cloth. Be sure to wring out the cloth well so that you don’t leave any liquid on the surface. It also pays to wipe down your guitar when you have finished playing. An old t-shirt will do the trick nicely.

Check out this video about how to maintain your guitar:

(Disclosure: I may be compensated through the links in the post below, but the opinions are my own.)