Cleaning Your Bass with an old T-Shirt

[therealting]

I really don't know which forum this is supposed to be in... so if this is the wrong one, please feel free to move it, mods!

Handy trick that I thought I'd share with anyone who's never understood the incredible bass-cleaning potential of an old T-shirt.

The obvious trick is to just use the entire thing as a cleaning cloth, or to cut it into big squares. Of course, these work well.

But don't forget that you can cut the sleeves off and sew one side up to make a "pocket" that you can use like a glove to clean your bass easily.

Also, you can chop off the hems into long strips, and use them to clean underneath strings easily... you just have to loop it under the string you want to clean, and slide up and down the string. Since you will only be using the bit near the end, you can simply snip it off when it gets gunky, and you have fresh string cleaning strip again.

[KPJ]

Nice tips. Spector actually recommends using an old cotton t-shirt to clean their basses.

[Thor]

All old clothes in my house get recycled into the rag bag,
workshop rags, dipstick checker, bass cleaners, car wash
quality towel pile. Then wash, and reuse.

Paper towels usage is way down.

[Would'e?]

I use an old sock. I just pull it over my hand and polish away.

[BadMonk]

Good ideas. But, I bungee mine on the hood of my car and run it through the car wash...two birds with one stone.

[Supertanker]

Originally Posted by BadMonk

Good ideas. But, I bungee mine on the hood of my car and run it through the car wash...two birds with one stone.

BRILLIANT!

[Tony G]

I use microfiber towels that you can get from any auto parts and maintanence store.

[Tony G]

Originally Posted by Supertanker

BRILLIANT!

[Phalex]

I haven't cleaned my bass in 15 years.

It's still black and shiny. for the most part......

[Depth_Charge]

Between big cleans I use microfibre towels or the cloths you get when you buy sunglasses.

Is there a benefit to keeping a bass meticulously clean?

I give my basses a clean when I change strings, on average every 6 months.

I also dress the Rosewood boards with a little Kwik Fret and leave my fretless board alone (unfinished ebony).

[KPJ]

Originally Posted by Phalex

I haven't cleaned my bass in 15 years.

It's still black and shiny. for the most part......

...of course it was white when you bought it.

[BurningSkies]

Originally Posted by xgabriele

I use microfiber towels that you can get from any auto parts and maintanence store.

Yes.

These are much better than t-shirt rags. Simply the best you can use.

[dave_bass5]

I tend to use my drummers suit jacket if he doesn't take it off my bass stand before i need to put my bass on it after a set ;-)

[Munjibunga]

Yeah, I take all my old undershirts, and cut rectangles out of the front and back. They make a perfect size cloth for polishing.

[Diggler]

Originally Posted by BadMonk

Good ideas. But, I bungee mine on the hood of my car and run it through the car wash...two birds with one stone.

Then you have a dirt silhouette of your bass on the hood.

I donate my old clothing to the Salvation Army... you can claim the market value as a tax deduction... it adds up quickly.

I do use the inside of the shirt I'm wearing to clean it, though. Also a VERY soft bristled paint brush makes getting the dust out from behind the strings and other places a lot easier.