spit on guitar

[BKinBWa]

Hey all,
I've noticed that the upper bout sides and top of my guitar (walnut/spruce) have a lot of little spots on them. I'm thinking they are probably, well,...saliva droplets. I guess I probably spit a little when I sing. Anyway, what would be your recommendations for cleaning it off? And generally, what is your preferred method for cleaning off top, back and sides? I have just recently started to wipe down my instrument after playing, but those spots are still there.
If this has been addressed in another thread, please refer me.
Thank you.
-BKinBWA

[Rev Roy]

Originally Posted by BKinBWa

Hey all,
I've noticed that the upper bout sides and top of my guitar (walnut/spruce) have a lot of little spots on them. I'm thinking they are probably, well,...saliva droplets. I guess I probably spit a little when I sing. Anyway, what would be your recommendations for cleaning it off? And generally, what is your preferred method for cleaning off top, back and sides? I have just recently started to wipe down my instrument after playing, but those spots are still there.
If this has been addressed in another thread, please refer me.
Thank you.
-BKinBWA

If it’s just spit a slightly damped cotton cloth with a bit of mild detergent should remove it. If not, you can alway go to the next level with Naphtha (lighter fluid). Once you’ve got it off wipe the guitar down after every session so it doesn’t accumulate again.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by BKinBWa

Hey all,
I've noticed that the upper bout sides and top of my guitar (walnut/spruce) have a lot of little spots on them. I'm thinking they are probably, well,...saliva droplets. I guess I probably spit a little when I sing. Anyway, what would be your recommendations for cleaning it off? And generally, what is your preferred method for cleaning off top, back and sides? I have just recently started to wipe down my instrument after playing, but those spots are still there.
If this has been addressed in another thread, please refer me.
Thank you.
-BKinBWA

Everybody does that. I always clean my guitars when changing strings.

I wipe them down with a damp cloth, dry them off then polish. I suggest that you don't polish before the damp cloth wipe down as it may kinda seal them on.

[warfrat73]

Honestly, if it's just a couple of spots like that... I'll spit on it and wipe it down with my sleeve or something soft that's close at hand.

And, now having admitted that, I nobody on AGF will ever buy a guitar from me.

[Goat Mick]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Honestly, if it's just a couple of spots like that... I'll spit on it and wipe it down with my sleeve or something soft that's close at hand.

And, now having admitted that, I nobody on AGF will ever buy a guitar from me.

Is there a “spit polish” discount?

[MartinGibsonFan]

Fight your spit with Lizard Spit



https://www.amazon.com/Lizard-Spit-G.../dp/B0002VSRR0

[blindboyjimi]

I use Stew Mac preservation polish on all my acoustics but like others I wipe my guitars down with a lint free cloth whenever they need it, certainly not after every play, and I use the Preservation Polish when I change strings. I use only coated strings or Monels so I change/polish only 4x/yr as my strings last 3 months+...though I split my playing on 11 guitars. The Preservation Polish works instantly and much better than my old standard of Virtuoso, and it takes away spots and right arm haze perfectly.

[Dave Hicks]

The one time I heard Kottke in concert his opening stream-of-consciousness was about noticing he'd drooled on his guitar - and made a new kind of connection with the instrument.

D.H.

[Wade Hampton]

As the Reverend Roy suggested, I just dampen a clean cotton or microfiber cloth, put a drop or two of mild soap or detergent on it (Ivory Liquid is perfect for this,) then gently clean the area. Then I dry it off with either the dry end of the cloth or another piece of material.

I only rarely apply any polish to any of instruments - if your guitar has a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, every time you polish it you remove a thin layer of lacquer. So I routinely go years between polishing my guitars, mandolins and mountain dulcimers, and never polish the ones that have satin finishes.

A clean damp cloth, a couple of drops of mild soap and moisture are all it takes to keep most guitar finishes maintained. If the gunk on there is stubborn a couple of drops of naphtha or Ronsonol lighter fluid will clean it off without much trouble, but with all of these things it’s always best to use them sparingly and not all that often.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by BKinBWa

Hey all,
I've noticed that the upper bout sides and top of my guitar (walnut/spruce) have a lot of little spots on them. I'm thinking they are probably, well,...saliva droplets. I guess I probably spit a little when I sing. Anyway, what would be your recommendations for cleaning it off? And generally, what is your preferred method for cleaning off top, back and sides? I have just recently started to wipe down my instrument after playing, but those spots are still there.
If this has been addressed in another thread, please refer me.
Thank you.
-BKinBWA

Hi BK-etc

Just a soft cotton rag lightly dampened with plain water (no need for detergent unless you chew).

Stewart McDonalds Erlewine repair book recommends saliva as the first solvent to try for removing minor spots on guitars. Saliva is on of the substances which breaks down 'things' - and not just in our mouths.

[FreDrummer]

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi BK-etc



Stewart McDonalds Erlewine repair book recommends saliva as the first solvent to try for removing minor spots on guitars. Saliva is on of the substances which breaks down 'things' - and not just in our mouths.

Yup. That’s what I was thinking as soon as I read the original post.

The cure for spit? More spit.


But, really, I’m a big fan of naptha on nitro guitars. It does not interact with nitro and dries in seconds. Short of dunking an entire guitar into a vat of naptha, there is really little danger of over-doing it with naptha.

But, if you’d rather use a damp rag first, go ahead and do it, then, if that doesn’t work, move on to naptha. I usually just skip straight ahead to naptha because I always keep some on my work bench. It will not damage nitro lacquer.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by warfrat73

Honestly, if it's just a couple of spots like that... I'll spit on it and wipe it down with my sleeve or something soft that's close at hand.

And, now having admitted that, I nobody on AGF will ever buy a guitar from me.

I don't spit on it again, but a shirt sleeve will take it off. Old t shirts are my rags for all things that need wiping or polishing.

[Don Lampson]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

As the Reverend Roy suggested, I just dampen a clean cotton or microfiber cloth, put a drop or two of mild soap or detergent on it (Ivory Liquid is perfect for this,) then gently clean the area. Then I dry it off with either the dry end of the cloth or another piece of material.

I only rarely apply any polish to any of instruments - if your guitar has a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, every time you polish it you remove a thin layer of lacquer. So I routinely go years between polishing my guitars, mandolins and mountain dulcimers, and never polish the ones that have satin finishes.

A clean damp cloth, a couple of drops of mild soap and moisture are all it takes to keep most guitar finishes maintained. If the gunk on there is stubborn a couple of drops of naphtha or Ronsonol lighter fluid will clean it off without much trouble, but with all of these things it’s always best to use them sparingly and not all that often.

Hope that makes sense.


Wade Hampton Miller

No doubt you offer sound advice. However, you ignore the simple fact that polishing one's guitar, is an act of love, and not just for preventive maintenance.... It's the same love that burns deeply in classic car owners, and beyond.... Without this love, there wouldn't be marketing in 31 delicious flavors of "guitar polish", would there?

Don

[mc1]

There's a song or two contained within this thread, should one be motivated.

[Tube Sound]

I fall into the, more spit to fix spit, camp. The little droplets are nothing that a big hockin loogie, won't fix. I'm talkin really working one up in back of your throat, kinda stuff. That and an old sock, work wonders. Except for the occasional smell left.