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Tips for Cleaning Instruments
Tips for Cleaning Instruments
Use a soft, absorbent cloth or swabs to regularly clean your instrument. Wash that cloth every week or 2!
Woodwind instruments should NEVER be put in water (it ruins pads and corks)
A little bit of Pledge furniture polish works well for making your instrument shiny and to remove fingerprints.
When using a clarinet or sax swab connected to a string, start from the bell and then pull it out at the top of the instrument.
Cleaning the Flute Head Joint
Using a cotton swab saturated with denatured, isopropyl alcohol, carefully clean around the embouchure hole.
Alcohol wipes can be used on the flute's lip plate to kill germs if the flute shared by several players.
Using a soft, lint-free silk cloth inserted into the cleaning rod, clean the inside of the headjoint.
Do not run the headjoint under water as it may saturate and eventually shrink the headjoint cork.
Cleaning Bocals (for bassoon and English Horn)
Bocals should be cleaned every month with a bocal brush, mild soap solution, and running water.
English Horn bocals can be cleaned with a pipe cleaner, mild soap solution, and running water. Be careful not to scratch the inside of the bocal with the exposed wire ends of the pipe cleaner.
Cleaning Hard Rubber and Ebony Mouthpieces (for clarinets and saxes)
Mouthpieces should be swabbed after each use and cleaned weekly.
Select a small container that will accommodate the mouthpiece vertically and place the mouthpiece, tip down, into the container.
Fill the container just past the window of the mouthpiece with a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Protect clarinet mouthpiece corked tenons from moisture.
After the mouthpiece has soaked for fifteen minutes, use an appropriately sized mouthpiece brush to remove any calcium deposits or other residue from inside and outside surfaces. This step may need to be repeated if the mouthpiece is excessively dirty. (Black rubber mouthpieces may turn a little greenish in color. That's okay.)
Rinse the mouthpiece thoroughly and then saturate with disinfectant solution. Place on paper towel and wait one minute.
Wipe dry with paper towel.
Note: Metal saxophone mouthpieces clean up well with hot water, mild dish soap (not dishwasher detergent), and a mouthpiece brush. Disinfectant solution is also safe for metal mouthpieces.
Cleaning Saxophone Necks
Swabs are available to clean the inside of the saxophone neck. However, many saxophonists use a flexible bottlebrush and toothbrush to accomplish the same results.
The saxophone neck should be swabbed after each use and cleaned weekly.
Use the bottlebrush with mild, soapy water to clean the inside of the neck.
Rinse under running water.
Disinfectant solution may be used on the inside of the neck if desired. Place on paper towel for one minute.
Rinse again under running water, dry, and place in the case.
Cleaning Brass Instrument Mouthpieces
Mouthpieces should be cleaned monthly.
Use a cloth soaked in warm, soapy water to clean the outside of the mouthpiece.
Use a mouthpiece brush with warm, soapy water to clean the inside.
Rinse the mouthpiece and dry thoroughly.
Disinfectant solution may be used on the mouthpiece at this time. Place on paper towel for one minute.
Wipe dry with paper towel.
Some musicians will give their trumpet or trombone a "bath". But this should only be done if you have been playing your instrument for a while and are very confident you can take a part your instrument gently and put it back together without assistance.
(While some potential disinfectants, including alcohol, boiling water, and bleach can be used as general disinfectants, they are not recommended for use on mouthpieces or instruments due to their potential effect on skin, plastics, and metals.)
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