Cleaning old strings

krzys

I have saved all my used wound strings thinking I might need them one day with the exchange rate going the way it is.

So is there any way to clean them? They will always have the dents around where the frets are, but is there a good way to get the gunk off the rest of the strings? Should I boil them or try silver cleaner 😆

Buco

Boiling them is the old school trick. I've done that in my childhood years. They sound like brand new afterwards but go back to dull much quicker.

billyshakes

Might have to give up on the wound G string too. Mine always seem to split around the frets, and then I know it is well past time to change them.

krzys

So I can verify that boiling these strings makes them even more tarnished

Buco

What, didn't work? Never failed me but they go back to ready for a trash pile quick. Adding a spoon of baking soda to the water helps too.

krzys

Turned all the white parts black - strings looked almost entirely gunked and tarnished after the experiment

wim

And a pinch of salt may improve the broth