Just wanted to check before I do something stupid (something else stupid?) I opened my string cleaner and found it empty, but I have read you can clean your strings with alcohol wipes. Being a walking medical miracle I happen to have many boxes of injection swabs lying around, which are isopropyl alcohol at 70% v/v - will those be OK?

I've been using something simillar so I would be interested to know whether or not I shoud be using them!

I put something under the strings to prevent any drips onto the varnish but everything seems ok so far...

I use aftershave!

The great sound of Brut!

I'm sure I have read somewhere that Yehudi Menuhin used eau de cologne for string cleaning - or have I made that up? I would be happy for my violin to smell of Chanel.

N

That might be from his book with William Primrose about violin and viola? He also mentions about using very fine wire floss to remove rosin from strings as well

I best not meet you violin as I once had a girlfriend who wore it often

They would be perfect, subject to the usual caveat about avoiding contact with the varnish.

Oh good, cos I did it already! I did it on my violin. Poor violin gets used as a guinea-pig viola!

It would be next to impossible to get these on the varnish because they evaporate off really fast and are tiny, in fact I recommend them for that very reason, particularly to children and clumsy folks.

I use Pirasto string cleaner - I think its about £5-£6 but it lasts ages.