Cleaning strings with WD-40!

[earth2tom]

From the Material Safety Data Sheet. AU

I suppose this applies to musicians too...


SKIN
If solids or aerosol mists are deposited upon the skin:
- Flush skin and hair with running water (and soap if available).
- Remove any adhering solids with industrial skin cleansing cream.
- DO NOT use solvents.
- Seek medical attention in the event of irritation

SAFETY
Do not breathe gas/fumes/vapour/spray.
Wear eye/face protection.
Use only in well ventilated areas.
Keep container in a well ventilated place.
Keep container tightly closed.
Take off immediately all contaminated clothing.
In case of contact with eyes, rinse with plenty of water and contact Doctor or
Poisons Information Centre.
If you feel unwell contact Doctor or Poisons Information Centre. (Show the label
if possible).

From WD-40 facts:

What surfaces or materials are OK to use WD-40 on?

WD-40 can be used on just about everything. It is safe for metal, rubber, wood and plastic. WD-40 can be applied to painted metal surfaces without harming the paint. Polycarbonate and clear polystyrene plastic are among the few surfaces on which to avoid using a petroleum-based product like WD-40.

What does WD-40 contain?

While the ingredients in WD-40 are secret, we can tell you what WD-40 does NOT contain. WD-40 does not contain silicone, kerosene, water, wax, graphite, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), or any known cancer-causing agents.

 

[Ray C Parrish]

Just my two bits, do not ever allow a can of this stuff near your bass!

Years ago I managed a plating shop which involves stripping parts. We used a commercial version of WD 40 for a "paint stripper". And we had to strip the oils off first since it did nothing for them. Isn't it mostly skin oils we are trying to clean off the strings?

Just replace your strings, there is to many great places to get smoking deals online!

 

[Bassdrops!]

That's nuts! Why would you want to grease up your strings with wd 40! Wd40 is made for like doors!

 

[Solarmist]

WD the "Wonder Drug" - It has many multitudes of uses, and is fantastic stuff, but not for stringed instuments!

 

[62bass]

Stanley Clarke used to use After shave. He said not only did it clean his strings better than anything else, he smelled great afterwards as well.

I heard it was Billy Sheehan said he used it. Anyhow, either one could have. Maybe one of them drank it and the other used it on his strings.

 

[manicbassman]

I've used WD40 and 3 in 1 oil to recharge my dried out Fast Fret stick before now... no problems as long as you allow plenty of time for it to soak right into the pad.

I never let my Fast Fret touch the fingerboard anyway, I use a thick sheet of card or plastic between the strings and the board to do that with. Fingerboard gets done with Lem-Oil if rosewood or just good old spit and clean rag if maple

 

[bluesdogblues]

Man, Apologize for out of topic here: How Bout "PHILIPS Contact Cleaner 390CCS"? (Orange Cap Of Spray Tin) (Have you ever heard of it?) thanks

 

[doktorfeelgood]

I saw Tab Benoit a couple of years ago and his bass player, Carl Dufrene, would spray WD-40 all over his strings before each set. He kept a small 3 oz. can on top of his amp. I was horrified at first but it seemed to work for him. He is an excellent player. Not in a million years would I ever do such a thing. )-(
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

>
> WD-40
>
> Well, Who Knew...?
>
> I had a neighbor who had bought a new pickup.
> I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw
> that someone had spray painted red all around the
> sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason).
> I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news.
> He was very upset and was trying to figure out
> what to do probably nothing until Monday morning,
> since nothing was open.
> Another neighbor came out and told him to get his
> WD-40 and clean it off.
> It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did
> not harm his paint job that was on the truck.
> I'm impressed!
> WD-40 who knew?
>
> Water Displacement #40.
> The product began from a search for a rust
> preventative solvent and degreaser
> to protect missile parts.
> WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the
> San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
> Its name comes from the project that was to
> find a "water displacement" compound.
> They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40. The
> Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile
> parts.
> Ken East (one of the original founders) says
> there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you..
>
> When you read the "shower door" part, try it.
> It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door.
> If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass.
> It's a miracle!
> Then try it on your stovetop...
> Voila! It's now shinier than it's ever been.
> You'll be amazed.
>
> Here are some of the uses:
>
> 1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
> 2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
> 3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
> 4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen
> without making it slippery.
> 5) Keeps flies off cows.
> 6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
> 7) Removes lipstick stains.
> 8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
> 9) Untangles jewelry chains.
> 10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
> 11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
> 12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
> 13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
> 14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
> 15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
> 16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
> 17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
> 18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40
> for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to
> harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them
> off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
> 19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your
> car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
> 20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine
> for a super fast slide.
> 21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck
> lever for ease of handling on riding mowers.
> 22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
> 23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home
> windows and makes them easier to open.
> 24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
> 25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards
> in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
> 26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
> 27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
> 28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons,
> and bicycles for easy handling.
> 29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and
> keeps them running smoothly.
> 30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades,
> and other tools.
> 31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
> 32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
> 33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
> 34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
> 35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
> 36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and
> knees to relieve arthritis pain.
> 37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes
> love bugs from grills and bumpers."
> 38) The favorite use in the state of New York WD-40
> protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
> 39) WD-40 attracts fish.
> Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you will be
> catching the big one in no time.
> Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants
> that are made for just that purpose.
> Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits
> or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
> 40) Use it for fire ant bites.
> It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
> 41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls.
> Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
> 42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage
> daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with
> a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40
> and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
> 43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap,
> it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
>
> P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
> P. P. S. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet
> over the stove.
> It is good for oven burns or any other type of burn.
> It takes the burned feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

 

[Reuben]

I use Brut after shave on my strings. I have for 20 years. It works great. It's mostly alcohol. As long as you don't get it on the finish it works fine.

 

[Phalex]

I've used WD-40 to clean strings for years. It's silicone free, and it doesn't hurt the finish. I don't spray it directly on, I use a cleaning patch to apply it and cover the fret board with a garbage bag when I do.

My all time favorite thing to use for cleaning purposes is Hoppe's #9. Cleans, lubricates, and smells fantastic too!

 

[HEADLE]

I saw Tab Benoit a couple of years ago and his bass player, Carl Dufrene, would spray WD-40 all over his strings before each set. He kept a small 3 oz. can on top of his amp.

Freeked me out too the first time I saw it. Dude is a great player though and it works for him. I was a mechanic for 15 years and I used it or one of it's counterparts everyday on multiple things. Good Stuff!

H

 

[bassman314]

As far as my experience is... that statement is true.

And in my opinion.. strings sound better when they are CLEAN and DRY.

Alcohol is the way to go. It will evaporate completely and leave the strings dry. (Of course.. Isopropyl or 90% alcohol)

I prefer the type of alcohol to match what I am playing. For Reggae? I use 151 proof Rum. For Hip Hop? Courvoisier or Gray Goose. For Jazz? you guessed it... Gin! For Rock? whatever I can get my hands on... usually something cheap like everclear... or rubbing alcohol.

When playing in my church band, it's all about the Holy Spirits.... Scotch...

 

[wazdabaz]

I admit I haven't read all the posts in this thread. I want to say that I used a contact cleaner (oil free) to clean my strings. And it worked amazingly well. It is a great advantage not to have to remove the strings for boiling. You just put something waterproof under the strings to protect the instrument body and then you spray all over the strings. You don't even detune them! It removes all the finger grease and gives a new life to the strings without having to destroy them by boiling (Boil! Jesus!).
You have to be sure that the spray can, contains oil-free mixture and that it really is an electronics-contact cleaner and not a lubricant one or a corrosion remover. The electronic-contact cleaners leave no residue and volatilize after a few minutes.
Don't be afraid. It is really easy & takes a few minutes. Just cover the bass body under the strings. Don't ever boil again.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

just get axe wipes from www.caig.com. trust me on this one, you will never need anything else again!

 

[Mike Carr]

Stanley Clarke used to use After shave. He said not only did it clean his strings better than anything else, he smelled great afterwards as well.

I remember reading him saying this in an old magazine, Bass Player? Maybe even Guitar Player from back in the day when they sometimes featured bass players. He said Mennon Skin Bracer was his product of choice!

 

[Mike Carr]

I have heard it said that WD 40 is made from fish oil! I'm not sure if this is true but that might give a bit more credibility to those that say it can't hurt you.

 

[Luckydog]

I use Brut after shave on my strings. I have for 20 years. It works great. It's mostly alcohol. As long as you don't get it on the finish it works fine.

ugh, I remember Brut from the 60s. What a horrible oppressive sweet smell. Maybe it’s a decent string cleaner, but back in the day, many considered it a universal girl repellent.

 

[Luckydog]

just get axe wipes from www.caig.com. trust me on this one, you will never need anything else again!

This. Or you can buy a small bottle which will last for years.

 

[Steve Slate]

Stanley Clarke used to use After shave. He said not only did it clean his strings better than anything else, he smelled great afterwards as well.

I read that article too and used it for a while when playing fulltime back in the 80s. It was Mennen skin bracer. He said it had the right amount of alcohol in it. My Bass and case smelled so good HaHa!!

 

[gln1955]

just get axe wipes from www.caig.com. trust me on this one, you will never need anything else again!

I misread and thought you meant these.

Might work.