I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this, so be merciful.

I put some new strings on about 3 weeks ago, and a couple of nights ago I put on some Dunlop string cleaner, which is like Fast Fret. The container let out quite a bit, though, and even though I wiped the strings down a bunch, they're now coated heavily, and at 3 weeks old, they feel and sound like the 9-month-old strings I just replaced.

Is there a way to clean this stuff off the strings so I don't have to play muted strings for the next X amount of months? Lesson learned.

Also, how often do all of you use stuff like "String cleaner" and Fast Fret on your strings?

Any fluid cleansing alcohol would do. I used isopropanol for tape recorders and I guess that would do well for strings too, if you can find it. Today I use the Zippo fluid you buy for gasoline based cigaret lighter refill. I snagged that hint from one of Sweden's most hired pro guitar tech. Can be bought everywhere, but as with any alcohol you have to be careful not to drop it on the fretboard or any wood parts. Use a cloth, wet it in the cleansing fluid, grab the string through the wet cloth with your thumb and index finger nails on the back side of the string, then move the cloth along the string twice to rub it on all sides (from bridge to nut and back again). Repeat that procedure for every string.

string cleaner or fast fret?........never ever, but thats just me. i may try boiling them. but then again i probably would just change them.

cheers,
kev

Thanks, Per. I have some isopropyl alcohol here at the house, so I'll use that.
Kevin, thanks for chiming in. I think I'll be joining the seldom-to-never ranks after this. I'd heard of boiling strings years ago (during my years of working in a music instrument store), but having never owned a stringed instrument I never had the chance to try it. Now, I'm not sure if I'm brave enough.

I've bee boiling strings and it works with reference to timbre! (But I do it more to mouth harmonicas). With strings it is not just about getting rid of the dirt, they also become deformed by the frets and you can't "boil back" the lost intonation.

Wow I'd never heard about boiling strings before, I might give it a try... will it work with bass strings though?

Bass strings is the main dish of the boiling cuisine! Simply because the are thicker and won't get as damaged, loosing intonation, by fret contact as the thinner guitar strings. So giving them a second life this way is more worth the effort.

Don't forget the salt and to enjoy with butter!

I should have mentioned that it was bass strings that were being boiled when I heard about it years ago.

I have boiled a thousand sets of bass strings (well maybe 300) in an effort to save money when I was financially challenged. It works well on round wound strings. Fast Fret or other products like that? No thankyou......ever...... keep that junk off of your strings in my humble opinion.

cheers,
k