Vaseline

[mac]

If you are single like me, or you are an old married guy, you do have vaseline in your night table. 
Or in your bathroom cabinet if you have dry intestines.

So we all have vaseline at home. What kind of DIY use for it:
To clean and lubricate strings.

I was using WD40 but one day I thought that vaseline might help too, and it did.
After playing I clean the strings with a dry cloth, then I put some drops of vaseline in a piece of cotton, lift up a string at a time and pass the wet cotton all along the string, included the bottom side.
I also lubricate the frets with it, it does not attack the wood or metal-wood junction.
Of course, it works up to some point, but it keeps strings clean and protected from 02 and finger nasties, extending their life.

Glycerin, a kind of non-volatile alcohol, also looks like a nice and cheap cleaner and lubricant, althoug I'm not sure if it can corrode the wood or metal-wood junction.
I passed it along strings and it removed that grey color, and made them sound brighter after removing excess small drops with cloth.

mac

[GGBB]

Don't those things make the strings feel too slippery?  I use methyl hydrate or 99.9% isopropyl alcohol, but I'll have to try your ideas.

[FLchuckles]

i would think it would actually attract dirt? hell, i dunno!

[Hemmel]

TBH, I don't get how vaseline can clean.
Also, I never cleaned my strings. Too old and/or dirty ? Put new strings.

[Mark Hammer]

Isn't Vaseline a song by Bush?

[Tony Forestiere]

Isn't Vaseline a song by Bush?

Just waiting for Markeebee to come along. 

[thom]

Isn't Vaseline a song by Bush?

There was one by Elastica...

[mth5044]

If you are single like me, or you are an old married guy, you do have vaseline in your night table. 
Or in your bathroom cabinet if you have dry intestines.

WHAT

[deadastronaut]

Yeah, what...

[SmoothAction]

Edit - I just let all that grime and dirt build up cuz it looks cool. I haven't busted one in over six months so I'm just letting it ride, no polishing needed. Strings or whatever. 

On the topic I personally think the best string lubricant/cleaner is Fast Fret. It's too slick and oily for me though, I need to dry wipe it several times after applying it. Works good and is cheap but I don't use it much. Vaseline though... Not sure about that one.

[mac]

TBH, I don't get how vaseline can clean.

It cleans to some extent, and it keep strings lubricated and protected from O2.
I used thinner to clean, now glycerin.

I use methyl hydrate or 99.9% isopropyl alcohol, but I'll have to try your ideas.

I'm trying with glycerin since a few days ago, it is a greasy non-volatile alcohol.
I tried isopropyl and it works fine.

i would think it would actually attract dirt? hell, i dunno!

Don't those things make the strings feel too slippery?  

Many people use WD40, no dirt complaints AFAIK.
Excess should be removed with a cloth.
Too much vaseline, or WD40, makes strings too slippery (not a problem for me) and changes the weight and response of the string. A thin film around the string helps to reduce friction between air and steel, bringing some highs to life.

Put new strings.

24 fret, floyd rose... changing strings is a real PITA!

Yeah, what... icon_eek

Just kidding. Think party time

mac

[rockhorst]

24 fret, floyd rose... changing strings is a real PITA!

I find that changing Floyd's is about the same amount of work as any other trem guitar like say a Strat. Just need a piece of wood to temporarily block trem.

[akc1973]

Isn't Vaseline a song by Bush?

STP had a song "Vaseline", Bush had a song "Glycerine". Don't know the consequences of mixing the two up, though. 

[KazooMan]

A few comments from a chemist's perspective.

Vaseline is just a medium weight mix of a variety of hydrocarbons.  There is nothing in Vaseline that will have any cleaning action other than just the physical act of you smearing it across the strings and the accompanying mechanical moving of the windings.  It might help move some crud up to the surface for you to wipe off.  It would have to rate at the very bottom of a list of a solvents that might be used to "clean" any residue off the strings.  It will make the wound strings more slippery, just as a coat of motor oil would, and thus may give the impression that it has somehow cleaned them.  I am not certain just how filling the spaces between the windings of a wound string with goo helps with the sonic performance of the strings.  My gut feeling is that it does not.

As far as glycerine goes, the descriptions are correct.  This is a low molecular weight polyol.  A chain of three carbons with a hydroxyl group on each one.  Slippery stuff.  However, the very chemical nature of glycerine makes it very hygroscopic.  It is miscible with water and will readily absorb moisture out of the air.  I am hard pressed to see how rubbing glycerin on your guitar strings and especially your fretboard can lead to a positive result.  At best a mess to clean up.  At worst, damage to the fretboard that will require some major repairs.

In my opinion, these are two "cheap" home remedies to avoid. 

Replace your strings when their time comes.

[rousejeremy]

I could see Vaseline used at the contact points of a floating trem setup working well. We use WD40 in the shop for more things than you can imagine.

[GGBB]

On the topic I personally think the best string lubricant/cleaner is Fast Fret. It's too slick and oily for me though, I need to dry wipe it several times after applying it. Works good and is cheap but I don't use it much. Vaseline though... Not sure about that one.

I have some Fast Fret as well but also don't use it because it is too slippery for me.  I don't see how it cleans however, but haven't actually tried it for that.  As a string treatment though it does seem to keep your strings from getting dirt buildup.  It's basically mineral oil I believe, which if I'm not mistaken (chemist?) is not that dissimilar from petroleum jelly (Vaseline) - just a lot lighter.

[bwanasonic]

If you are single like me, or you are an old married guy, you do have vaseline in your night table. 

Water based lube dude. Really.

Occasionally, just to avoid changing strings that minute, I will use a very lightweight oil and solvent combo that is sold as fingerboard conditioner to clean my strings, or just lighter fluid, or even DeOxit, but Vaseline? Hell no! If your strings need to be cleaned, they need to be changed. As for other DIY uses, I used to fool with vaseline / graphite mixtures on the nuts... of my tremolo equipped guitars. Nasty business. I use proper nut sauce now.

[Stinger]

I use Dunlop string cleaner, good stuff

[deadastronaut]

I use nothing, apart from sweat...changing strings on a Floyd is a doddle, i have a tiny pack of pencils
that wedge up the bridge perfectly, i can probably change a set in 5mins, with a string winder too...essential.
that fast fret is nasty....theres no feel imo...a nice tip is to just take the gloss sheen off the back of the neck, i did this to
my crapocaster and it is much faster to move around...

[mac]

DISCLAIMER:
Put a cover below the strings and protect the body too BEFORE applying any cleaner, commercial or home made.

A few comments from a chemist's perspective.

Vaseline is just a medium weight mix of a variety of hydrocarbons.  There is nothing in Vaseline that will have any cleaning action other than just the physical act of you smearing it across the strings and the accompanying mechanical moving of the windings.  It might help move some crud up to the surface for you to wipe off.  It would have to rate at the very bottom of a list of a solvents that might be used to "clean" any residue off the strings.  It will make the wound strings more slippery, just as a coat of motor oil would, and thus may give the impression that it has somehow cleaned them.  I am not certain just how filling the spaces between the windings of a wound string with goo helps with the sonic performance of the strings.  My gut feeling is that it does not.

As far as glycerine goes, the descriptions are correct.  This is a low molecular weight polyol.  A chain of three carbons with a hydroxyl group on each one.  Slippery stuff.  However, the very chemical nature of glycerine makes it very hygroscopic.  It is miscible with water and will readily absorb moisture out of the air.  I am hard pressed to see how rubbing glycerin on your guitar strings and especially your fretboard can lead to a positive result.  At best a mess to clean up.  At worst, damage to the fretboard that will require some major repairs.

In my opinion, these are two "cheap" home remedies to avoid.

I agree that Vaseline is not known for cleaning properties, but I think that the film it makes around the strings protects them from fingers, air, etc., which is good when strings are new. And it lasts more than WD40 which is AFAIK the #1 home method.
New strings wounds get quickly filled with fingers' residues like skin and grease, so I prefer to put a protective cover before that happens.
That's why from time to time I brush the wounded strings with thinner or other volatile solvent, with extra care , and then apply WD40 or Vaseline.

About glycerine,
http://www.aciscience.org/docs/uses_of_glycerine.pdf
Read under Metal, Wood, Paint, Automotive, etc.

It helps to remove coffee stains

I use nothing, apart from sweat...

mac