Cleaning VOS hardware

[Parisianwalker]

Hi all,
I’d like to clean the nickel plated hardware on my ‘23 VOS R7 without removing the patina and/or whatever aging compound they put on there.
This is my first CS Gibson and my first nickel hardware-equipped guitar as well; all the threads I’ve found thus far aim at polishing off the oxidation, but I’d like to keep it.
I’d just like to remove the slightly oily and dusty film that’s accumulated on there (especially the pickup covers) after a year of playing.

I usually clean my guitars with either or both naphtha (zippo lighter fuel) and the Gibson polish in the black and gold spray bottle; would that do?

 

[Wilko]

just a terry cloth will do. no need for chemicals.

 

[LPR6]

The VOS ones don’t really clean up that well. I leave mine as they are for the most part.

 

[LyleGorch]

I just let them as they are, I just remove the crap.

 

[thinlizzy1]

I don’t even touch them other than wiping them off with a rag after playing them. That’s just to get the sweat off of them

 

[ToneHenge]

Have you tried using Nevr-Dull? The trick is to use any cleaning agent very lightly. If used VERY sparingly, it won’t take off the patina completely.