To start the cleaning, we’re going to get our cloth damp, making sure we squeeze out every last drop of water that can possibly be squeezed from that cloth. We don’t want water to start dripping down onto the wood. Make sure that there’s a second cloth to dry up any excess water that might get squeezed out.

Start at one end and work our way all the way up/down the neck making sure that we don’t miss a fret. Put a finger into the cloth and use it for a fret or two. We’ll want to frequently change the spot of cloth that we use, take one look at the spot used for a fret or two and it’s easy to see the grime being taken off.

It’s crucial to change the spot on the cloth that is being used for a few reasons. One is because we don’t want to just transfer the grime down the frets. The second reason is because if there is any sharp particles of dirt that work itself loose, however small it may be, onto the cloth, we don’t want to be scratching our neck with it.

Now depending on how frequently this cleaning is repeated, it might be best advised to repeat it twice. I like to go over it twice to make sure that I didn’t miss any spots. By the time that the end is reached, the starting has lost its excess moisture and it’s easier to see if any spots were missed or not hit as they should be. It can’t hurt.

If you have a fretboard cleaning product, I want to mention that certain products are not safe to be used on certain materials, so read the packaging for 'supported' materials like maple or rosewood. Often times on the guitar manufacturer’s website they will have a list of recommended cleaning formula to use on the fretboards as well as the body (and it should be a different product). To use the product, place a small amount on a little corner of the cloth and then rub the fret board with that spot of cloth. Once the cloth has become dirty, find another clean spot of cloth and put a drop or two of the product on it, then continue on up the fret board in the same fashion until the entire fret board is cleaned.

You can read more on using fretboard lemon oIl, olive oil, or fretboard conditioner to become more familiar with their functions and applications.

Finally, you can put those new strings on using some of the advice given here, and polish them up using some string cleaner, although I would suggest that new strings don't quite yet require the string cleaner, but as you use it, you'll learn this.

NOTE: Always remember to read the manufacturers label on the product that you are using for additional and specific application instructions.