How to Clean Your Violin – A No Solvents, Gentle, Varnish Protecting Guide

To clean your violin, it is highly recommended that you use only lint-free, microfibre cloth. (Recommendations for purchase are enclosed beneath).

In order to do so, you will need to wipe the body of your instrument down gentle with each use. You may need two or three wipe downs, using this gentle, lint-free, microfibre cloth gently to wipe all parts of the instrument.

Especial places to pay attention to are the area between the fingerboard and tailpiece, or direct under the area where the bow meets the string.

This is where rosin tends to accumulate.

Another area especially to clean is the fingerboard – which you can do by sliding another cloth, ideally, under the lower side of your strings, and upwards towards the scroll.

Hand perspiration and residue tends to accumulate here as well.

A final place is close to the violin seams, where dirt tends to accumulate.

Another recommendation is to have more than one lint-free cloth.

It is possible to have two, up to three of these violin cleaning cloths as not only can dirt and residue rest on them, they can be re-imparted if the same cloth is used on a less dirty part of the instrument – i.e. dirt from dirtier parts of the instrument can travel to less dirty parts of the instrument if the same cloth is used.

As a consequence, it is ideal for you to use certain cloths for certain areas of the instrument, and also to wash and dry these cloths – on rotation – possibly every two weeks.

By so doing, you ensure that the cloth stays fresh and dirt free. Rosin residue, in particular, can leave grime, and it is best that it not be re-transferred during cleaning.

Be careful, also, that you are gentle in handling the violin, and not excessively abrasive, or wipe too aggressively with excess handling.

Cleaning the Stick of the Bow

If you rosin your bow regularly, and/or are a regular performer, try to clean rosin off the stick of the bow as well. This will prevent its falling on the violin while in the case, and also allow for the proper balance, weight, and handling of the bow, all of which can be affected by the degree to which dust and grime sit as a layer of dirt on the bow, sometimes even affecting its torque. 

Better Rosins for Less Dust

One should also look into better, less rosin-dust imparting rosins – search for that as a quality while purchasing your rosin. Rosins that do not produce an excessive amount of rosin dust but which still remain ideal for your purposes, are better, on the whole, for violin cleaning that rosin that does not, as rosin residue is often a significant proportion of the dust generated on an instrument. This will, all-in-all, significantly change how much your violin needs to be cleaned, making it easier to clean, and such that less rosin and grime accumulates, especially if dust can also adhere to accumulated rosin residue.

Improve your sound and artistry with rosins and bow adhesion

Proper care and upkeep of your instrument can greatly improve your sound and violin artistry. Improve your musicality and technique with some practical and material tips.

Further Information

For further information, as well as a copy of the e-book for purchase, and other performance and violin material, please reach us using the contact form.

By Orion Music and Arts, Cambridge, MA, 2023-2024

Orion Music and Arts, Cambridge, MA, 2023-2024, Copyright, ©, Orion Music and Arts

All Rights Reserved