I never used to clean the rosin off because I liked the look of it, more like a fiddle, less like a violin, I thought. Now 20 years later my daughter tells me that cleaning off the rosin will leave the fiddle sounding sweet and mellow - I tried this and the difference astonished me. However I still subscribe to the "rub it in till you start sneezing" school. Can't wait to try the rosin on the flat pick tip - it's always falling inside the guitar, especially in the winter