Disclaimer, I'm not an expert rod restorer and what I do is for myself only, that out of the way, I start with a hot water and dish soap bath/scrub, followed after drying by a good wipe down with mineral spirits, followed by a wipe with alcohol, using soft cloths and tooth pics as needed. Then I either wax it or finger varnish it depending on condition after cleaning.
Some past threads that you might like-
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