Inspired by a product I saw on Amazon, I realized I could leverage my Tinkercad design skills and make my own compact guitar string cleaner for virtually no cost.

This cleaning tool lets you use a microfiber towel, an old T-shirt, or scraps of any other lint-free fabric to gently wipe your guitar strings to remove oils, dust, skin cells and other residue. The cleaner folds up around the strings, allowing you to clean all the strings at once. Just insert the thin end below the strings, fold the ends together, and gently wipe up and down the guitar neck. To reach the areas where the action is too low to insert the pad, just wipe from the top.

You can use the cleaning pad dry, or apply a string cleaner/conditioner such as Jim Dunlop Formula 65.

I sized this guitar cleaner to work with my 6-string acoustic guitar, but it will also work with many other guitars and stringed instruments. Internet consensus is that you can use rubbing alcohol or water, but do so sparingly, as you do not want these dripping onto the surface of your guitar and staining or damaging the finish.

Update 05/25/25: Based on user feedback, I've added a version of the inner pad with a handle to grip while sliding the cleaning pad on the strings.

Assembly Instructions

Print the 3 pieces of the guitar cleaning tool: the folding frame and two pad inserts. Note that there is a thicker pad insert (with logo) and a thinner one, to better slip underneath the guitar strings.

The inserts are sized so they loosely clip into the frame. Bevelled edges on the frame and the inserts help keep it in place. The slack will be taken up by the edges of the cleaning fabric, and friction will hold it in place.

Cut two pieces from a piece of fabric such as an old T-shirt, rag, or a clean microfiber towel. This is a great opportunity for recycling. Cut each piece slightly larger than the two pad inserts. For best results the edge of the fabric should overlap each insert by 5-10mm (¼ to 3/8 inch).

Center a piece of fabric over each pad insert. 

Working one at a time, line up the frame over each insert, so that the frame clips over and around the insert, locking the fabric into place. Make sure you put the thicker side of the frame over the thicker insert, same for the thinner one.

Work your way from one corner to another, pressing until you hear the insert click into place.

Flip the tool over. Use scissors or a utility knife to trim away the excess fabric.

Your guitar string cleaning tool is ready for use!