stainless steel kitchen wipes instead of boiling?

[crozier247]

would these work for cleaning bass strings? I have normal nickel wound ernie ball srings I was wondering if wipes like
http://www.weiman.com/images/pic_steel_wipes.jpg
would work in brightening my strings? I'm only 15 so I'm like mega broke haha I'm looking for a quick fix for dead strings and boiling is out of the question because IMO it does more harm then help in the long run to boil them. I have a friend who said stainless steel wipes could help, would this harm them at all?

[TheNightLife]

I wouldn't be quick to use any product like that. I actually use that on my stainless kitchen appliances lol and it leaves a residue behind that is next to impossible to get off. I definitly would not use it on my bass strings. Stainless steel strings will last longer then nickel wound strings

[jgroh]

I boiled my strings for years with no problems. Your best bet would to use some denatured alcohol and build the string cleaning tube (google that) but when I was 16 and broke, I boiled them and it worked fine.

[TheNightLife]

Yea I never had a problem boiling them either when I was younger.

[crozier247]

I've boiled before but it seems like they end up dieng soon after. What method did you use for boiling; by that I mean how much water, what temperature, how long, any addatives? Lol someone give me a recipe here

[crozier247]

I'd use the recipe I found on here, but it calls for mixing a bunch of household cleaning products and I don't feel like my mom accusing me of building a meth lab in the kitchen

[One Drop]

Originally Posted by jgroh

I boiled my strings for years with no problems. Your best bet would to use some denatured alcohol and build the string cleaning tube (google that) but when I was 16 and broke, I boiled them and it worked fine.

This.

[kander]

Originally Posted by jgroh

Your best bet would to use some denatured alcohol and build the string cleaning tube

I strongly recommend this; it works really well. I've reused strings until they wore out from fret wear-and-tear.

[crozier247]

Thanks alot for the suggestions I probably will build a tube once I get some money, and if I boil them how long is recommended?

[rumblethump]

I put a "drop" of dish soap in the water. rinse the strings after 5 minutes of boiling. Wipe dry, restring.

I'd also recommend the accessories for sale section here at TB. Some great deals show up.

[funknasty]

Denatured alcohol is what you want to do. You dont really need a tube just as long as they are submerged for 24-48 hours. Return the used stuff back to the container it came in and you'll be fine. Boiling water is not recommended for strings although I am sure many here have good results denatured alcohol is far superior. I reuse strings many times over although I would prefer to buy new ones if I werent on a budget.

[Garrett151]

I've done the denatured alcohol thing a couple times. while it does bring some of the zing back to the strings, they deteriorate quickly back to their original state (less than a week).

[crozier247]

I just went with boiling in water with a little bit of vinegar for 20 minutes, worked like a charm