Steel wool is a mess, I'd stay away. My neck is finished in danish oil over some "secret" stain. (Something to do with coffee and lemon juice, if I recall
) and when it gets grungy from, say, eating peanut butter sammiches and practicing, I just hit it with my bit of scotchbrite pad and wipe it with a damp cloth. Sure, there are probably better ways to maintain a super slick, polished finish, but this just maintains a nice smooth satin surface.
As for other stuff... well, just make sure you get any open seams or cracks glued up ASAP, keep your strings clean (scotchbrite again, imo) and your machines lubed. I use some silicone spray (carefully) for that, because it doesn't attract dirt and gunk. For overall polishing and cleaning, I just ignore it. My luthier is anal and whenever my bass goes in for some tweaking, it comes back clean and shiny. Not that I really care...
