Steel wool?

I was taught that I should use steel wool and lemon oil when cleaning fret boards. I was taught to use steel wool and lemon oil when I want to clean my frets. I didn't know what it is for but now I do. I actually realized what steel wool is. My personal stand on steel wool is this. I will NEVER EVER use steel wool on my guitars. I will also not let anyone who uses steel wool to clean fretboard near my guitars.

This is the main reasoning. Steel wool is actually abrasive. It's like sanding down your fretboard a little with sandpaper and lemon oil when you clean your fretboard with steel wool. Do I want more micro scratches on my fretboard? No, I don't think so.

The question is, what do I use then? To clean fretboards, I prefer the application of lemon oil and a soft toothbrush. SOFT! No point using toothbrush with hard bristles. Those are actually abrasive also.

For fret polishing, I will usually tape up my fretboard with masking tape and polish it with metal polisher. Do note that those are actually abrasive too so, it's better not to let any seep into your fretboard.

So the next time someone tells you that they are going to use steel wool on your fretboard, my advice is, take your guitar and go to someone else.