What’s best to use to do a basic, quick regular clean of acoustic and electric? Nothing major, just a quick clean. Thanks.
1. A Soft Microfiber Cloth
- This is the single most important tool.
- Use it to wipe down the body, neck, and strings after each session.
- It removes fingerprints, sweat, and dust without scratching.
2. A Little Bit of Guitar Polish (Optional)
- Only if you want a bit of shine.
- Use guitar‑specific polish, not household cleaners.
- A tiny spritz on the cloth (never directly on the guitar) is enough.
- Safe for most finished guitars, but avoid polish on unfinished or satin necks.
3. String Cleaner or Just a Dry Cloth
- For a quick clean, simply wiping the strings with a dry microfiber cloth works great.
- If you want a bit more, a basic string cleaner like GHS Fast Fret is safe and fast.
4. For the Fretboard (Only Occasionally)
- For a quick clean, you don’t need anything.
- Save fretboard conditioning (like lemon oil on rosewood/ebony, that’s what most people reccommend) for occasional deeper cleanings.
Quick Routine
- Wipe strings from nut to bridge.
- Wipe the front and back of the body.
- Wipe the neck and headstock.
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Many thanks for that, Justh33! Very helpful 
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As Hans above says, that’s all you need, a dry cloth, that is all I use on my guitars, nothing else
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That’s what I usually do too. I sometimes do the other stuff, but I usually just use a dry cloth.
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Try this first on the least conspicuous part of your guitar. There are some who say you should only ever use a lightly moist (with water only) cloth for cleaning.
For me, it depends on the guitar, if unsure, I don’t use polish, where I have used guitar-specific polish it’s only when sure of the finish and checked with the manufacturer of that guitar.
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Yep,
that sums it all up.
Only, for me, i use the same dry cloth for the strings and fretboard. I’m not touching the fretboard with anything liquid. I wouldn’t know what to do if things went south… (except panic, cry and call my luthier for help… 
)
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Avoid things that have alcohol in them. Some finishes will not survive. Just stick with a guitar cleaner as @Justh33 said above.
If you wait a long time to clean, sometimes a lightly dampened cotton swab can help get into areas that have build-up, like where the fret and fretboard meet. If I clean there a lot, then I will put 1-2 drops of fretboard (lemon) oil on a tiny cloth and rub it in. I’ll use 3-4 drops for a whole fretboard. I do mean drops, I am not saturating the tiny cloth and certainly not the wood. The ‘cloth’ is either a corner of a glasses cleaner microcloth, or a cotton cleaning patch. It is a square a little larger than my thumb nail. The wood should look darkened, but not wet when you are done.
One more note on fretboard oil that I didn’t see in my quick skim above - DO NOT oil a finished maple board. Be sure you know your fretboard and what maintenance is proper for it. Maple is generally finished with something that needs just some guitar cleaner. I have a guitar with a man-made board that needs just a bit of water or cleaner and nothing else. If you do not know, see if you can look on the manufacturer site. If that is not answering what you have, then post a fretboard picture for folks to help.
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First of know what your guitar finish is.
Taylor guitars have a poly finish and Bob Taylor the founder of Taylor guitar recomends soap and water to clean and Turtle wax,(Yes the stuff you use on your car) to polish it. Unless your Taylor Guitar has a satin finish. Then you don’t polish it at all. So if your guitar has a poly finish(most new brands do) you can clean it with just about anything.
Gibson, Martin and other high end guitars have Nitro finishes and soap and water on a damp cotton cloth is fine. For really dirty or hard to clean guitar you can use Naptha(lighter fluid). Keep bug spray like Off away from Nito Finishes, it will eat into it.
You can use guitar polish if you want to but it’s not necessary.
Second Know your fret board.
Raw wood can be gently cleaned with a damp cotton rag. Oil is for cosmetics only (darkening the wood) Raw wood fret board rely on good humidifying just like the body of an acoustic not oil. To much oil actually attracts dirt and clogs the open pores.
Baked Maple or finished Maple fret boards only need a moist cotton cloth to clean 5hen and should never be oiled.
Man made fret boards can be clean wi5h any mild house cleaner and don’t need oiling. They are not made of wood.
This has how I’ve cleaned my guitars for over 50 years with no ill effect to any of my them and have own some of them since 5he 70s.
Gutars are alot tougher than you think and will most likely out live you. My oldest Gibson is from 1947 as still looks and plays great.
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A cleaner not a polish. Two totally different thing. Yes people use polish to clean thier guitars but You should never clean your guitar with a polish.
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Somehow I knew you’d tell me why I was wrong.
Thank you everyone. I will just stick with a guitar-specific cloth for the time being. There’s no obvious dirt - just a bit of dust, and no doubt skin cells on the strings.
I’m also sure it doesn’t need to be a cloth sold for this purpose - but since I’m a newbie I will go for that so that I know it’s the right thing. In time I will of course learn more.
I keep my guitars in soft cases on stands anyway - partly cos of dust, and partly cos I won’t want my cat to decide strings are rather good fun 
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