VM-10H Varnish Cleaner

I used this to restore a nice violin and it cleaned off all the old dirt and grime making it look beautiful and shiny again. It does have a slight smell some might find unpleasant but it is somewhat mild. This will help protect your instrument's varnish with a small layer of coating when it's applied and dried.

I purchased a very old violin from ebay that had been sitting in someone's attic for years. The instrument had a lot of old rosin caked on the top, decades of dirt and dust layered in spots, and a strong musty odor. Even the metal fine tuner had this odor that's how strong it was. After using this product 90% of the dirt and rosin is gone, the finish has a nice silky patina, and all the parts I cleaned smell much better! The cleaner has a nice fresh pine kind of scent, which fades after a bit but I think it smells quite pleasant. Considering this is half of the price of the Hill cleaner (and made by the same company ;) ), I would certainly recommend this product, but with a few tips:1) Use it in a very small amount on an inconspicuous area of the instrument first, it case it harms the finish.2) Apply it conservatively, a little goes a long way and its better to clean off the gunk a little at a time.3) Buff the finish with a microfiber instrument cleaning cloth afterwards to remove the excess cleaner and give a handsome shine.4) Never use any cleaner or polish too often, its always better to use a few chemicals as possible on your instrument. Once or twice a month is usually the recommended maximum. I prefer once or twice a year myself.I thought it was a shame this great product had no reviews, but after trying it I can say it really deserves these 5 stars!

The media could not be loaded.  This product has great value for the price you paid.It does good amount of cleaning, that when I run my fingers across the instrument, it no longer feels sticky as you would from rosin residue.Although, I was hoping that it can restore some of the wore clear coat on the surface and bring the instrument back to life again.However, the best it can do is to remove the rosin. Once the cleaner is dry, the wood surface loses its shine.So a 4 star from me. I still recommend this product, just don’t expect magical shining properties from it. For that you would want a wooden floor polisher (on cheaper violins).

Not sure how it compares to other cleaners, but seems fine. Not a heavy duty cleaner. If you have a LOT of rosin buildup, this may not be the right product for you.

Funciona muy bien

It works but I'm worried that if I use it too much, the original violin's varnish will keep coming off.

I found that using a very small amount at a time works best, as in just a few drops. Spread a thin layer of cleaner with a microfiber cloth, working a small area at a time. It contains turpentine, which wasn't stated in the ad. Using too much might harm the finish?. What you want to do is take just the very top thin layer of dirt off, not all the varnish. I would use it rarely, and only if necessary.

This product does a good job of removing rosin without damaging the finish of my fiddle. There were several years of rosin build up on my old fiddle. My fiddle is not one with the new high gloss varnish finish, but a hundred years old. This product did not harm that old finish.

Does a great job removing finger prints and grime that accumulates over time on a violin. A couple of drops on the corner of a microfibre cloth and a circular motion and the dirt is gone. Polish with a clean area of the cloth. Use in a well ventilated area because it does have an odour.

Excellent product. I use it on my cello and work great.

Didn't really perform as expected. Still have a hazy residue in my finish.

I have a 20 yr old cello which hadn’t been cleaned - ever! Reading about Hidersine and talking with other cellists convinced me to give the product a try. It works fabulously and renewed the finish to my cello like magic. I was worried the product would destabilize my varnish but all is well. Is it possible that the cello sounds better 😊??

as expected