I am often asked how best to clean a violin…

In the photos you can see a classic example of paint damage caused by a commercially available cleaning agent for stringed instruments.
This cleaning agent contains, among other things, linseed oil, which can dissolve some paints. The varnish becomes soft and the dust that now gets on the instrument combines with the varnish.
This is of course not good for the paint and it takes a lot of time and patience to have such damage repaired by the violin maker.
Other cleaning agents may contain silicone oils or waxes, which can also cause damage to the paintwork. It is also problematic when instruments may have cracks, old cracks or open cracks. If the substances penetrate into the cracks, you will have problems with gluing later. Another point is that commercially available cleaning products do not say exactly what is in them.
I therefore only recommend cleaning with a duster or a fine microfiber cloth after each game. And then, if necessary, to the violin maker for professional and paint-friendly cleaning.