Cleaning a fretboard

[Tim Logan]

On my next string change I would like to clean the fretboard on my 1925 L&H mandolin. What is best and safest to use for cleaning a fretboard please? Thank you.

[d18daddy]

I've been very impressed with this stuff. Conditions and cleans the fretboard and polishes the frets.
http://www.gorgomyte.com/

[CBFrench]

cOoL I got some...saw Adam Steffey saying he had a rag with WD40 on it

[Nevin]

I would start with a slightly damp rag. If things are truly grimy, naptha (lighter fluid) can be used on the worst spots. Conditioning a fretboard is different from cleaning it. I am of the opinion that it is very rarely needed and if done should be done carefully and sparingly.

[Tim Logan]

I would start with a slightly damp rag. If things are truly grimy, naptha (lighter fluid) can be used on the worst spots. Conditioning a fretboard is different from cleaning it. I am of the opinion that it is very rarely needed and if done should be done carefully and sparingly.

Thank you Nevin. Can you clarify what you mean by conditioning and when (if ever) it might be appropriate please? Thank you. I believe a damp rag is the best for old L&H varnish finishes - the fretboard I was not quite sure about.

[pops1]

I like a 3M scotch bright pad, the white one. It is quite fine and will polish the frets and clean the fingerboard. If it hasn't been done in a year or two I use fingerboard oil sparingly.

[Nevin]

Thank you Nevin. Can you clarify what you mean by conditioning and when (if ever) it might be appropriate please? Thank you. I believe a damp rag is the best for old L&H varnish finishes - the fretboard I was not quite sure about.

Many people rub their fretboards with an oil or an oil based product. There is a lot of myth around this. People think that it re-hydrates the board. It doesn't. If a board is dehydrated, just like the rest of the wood, it needs humidity. In general wood doesn't loose oil. Done sparingly and infrequently it can improve the look of the wood. If over done (which is easy) it can form the gunk that you are trying to remove. In more extreme cases it can cause loose frets and even wood rot. I would not do it more frequently than once every several years.

My thoughts behind cleaning with a damp cloth are that I try the gentlest method first. Even if it doesn't do the whole job and you need to move on to a more agressive approach, you are only doing so where needed.

[Tim Logan]

Thank you Nevin - that's very helpful. I did some digging and frequently see naphtha (lighter fluid) recommended in lieu of or in addition to a very slightly damp cloth. Thanks again.

[JeffLearman]

I like a 3M scotch bright pad, the white one. It is quite fine and will polish the frets and clean the fingerboard. If it hasn't been done in a year or two I use fingerboard oil sparingly.

I start out with a damp cloth, but white ScotchBrite should work well. The white is equivalent to 000 steel wool, which I used to use. But one day a friend saw me doing that near pickups and clued me in about that (steel wool fragments are not kind to magnetic pickups!)

Lately I've been using pure lemon oil (sold for aroma therapy) for reconditioning. It's very clean and smells nice. It's pricey at $4/oz or more, but it only takes a tiny amount per job. I got it for a different purpose but since I have it I use it. Over the last 40 years or so, I've also used various brands of fretboard conditioning oil over the years and they've all worked just fine, but the lemon oil feels & smells the best (by a small margin.) But as Nevin says, no need to do it very often!

[JeffLearman]

Thank you Nevin - that's very helpful. I did some digging and frequently see naphtha (lighter fluid) recommended in lieu of or in addition to a very slightly damp cloth. Thanks again.If it's really gunked up and hardened that would help; I hope it's kind enough to the fretboard. I'd definitely try soap and water first!

[lowtone2]

Be sure to use the gentle cycle.

[JeffD]

I don't like to take all my strings off the mandolin at once. I like to keep the instrument under tension, and keep the bridge where it was when I last got it set up.

Most of the time I think this tool (https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MN205--musicnomad-nomad-tool-string-surface-and-hardware-cleaning-tool) is enough to keep the strings and fretboard clean.

[mjbee]

I was just reading about this very topic on Frank Ford’s frets.com. http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/GenMaint/Cleaning/cleaning02.html Lots of good advice, not just for the fretboard.

[John Bertotti]

I started using those Novus products in the late 70's early 80's on motorcycle face shields. Good stuff. Never thought to use it on a guitar finish. I wonder how old that article is.

[NotMelloCello]

I've been very impressed with this stuff. Conditions and cleans the fretboard and polishes the frets.
http://www.gorgomyte.com/

I hate the smell of that stuff.

Most of the pros I know use Howard Feed'N'Wax...

[MediumMando5722]

Most of the pros I know use Howard Feed'N'Wax...

That stuff is awesome. It's super cheap, and makes everything smell and look great. I have a guitar with a pau ferro fretboard that always had that dry look. A little Howard's, and it looks incredible.