Dear canoer...

Fast Fret is quite a useful lanolin-based product in stick form that will help clean the crud off strings, lubricate them lightly and prolong their life. One stick of it in my experience lasts for years and, as kendall says above, is probably worth the price.

The worst thing about it is the appalling squealing noise (see stuck pig thread) it makes when you clean off especially the two top strings after applying it. I've seen this quickly clear a pub when a particularly poor session has singularly failed to do so!

All the best,

mcmoo