Play guitar? Learn why your fingers smell garlic

If you play a stringed instrument such as a guitar or bass, it is common to smell unpleasantly on your fingers after a concert or rehearsal. Many musicians even say that the fragrance resembles garlic.

According to researchers at Wollongong University in Australia, this problem is real and even the weather influences the outcome - the hotter the worse. Also, the sweat glands are never exactly alike: there are the largest and most sensitive, which causes a stronger smell.

However, what causes the odor is the combination of strings, wood and cleanliness. According to the researchers, it is clear that a metal string causes an increase in strong smell.

Richard Robinson, an American luthier, comments that he can see the dirt and sweat of the musicians on the instruments, especially on guitar strings and bass guitar strings. "It causes deterioration. I would like them to wash their hands, " he said.

There are several ways to clean the ropes and the arm, according to Robinson. Nothing that good steel wool and some oils that can be researched and purchased online do not do the job. Washing your hand before and after rehearsal or show is also a good tip.

* Posted on 8/8/2015