Instrument maintenance cheat sheets

Every time you play:

1. Empty the moisture from all slides. Use the water keys if you have them, then remove the slides and give them a shake.
2. Wipe down any areas of the instrument that you've touched, using a lacquer or a silver cloth, depending on the finish. (The acid from your fingertips will damage the finish.)
3. Wipe moisture off the mouthpiece with a lint-free cloth (e.g. a handkerchief), and put it back in its pouch or case (never leave a mouthpiece in the instrument).

Every week:

1. Remove each valve, wipe them clean with a lint-free cloth, and apply two or three drops of valve oil. When you put them back, make sure the valve guide relocates smoothly (never force a valve into place).
2. Make sure the bottom valve caps unscrew easily. Apply a small amount of tuning slide grease if needed.
3. Check all slides move freely. Apply a small amount of lubricant if required. (Use key oil on mobile slides and triggers on cornets and trumpets, and use tuning slide grease on all other slides.)

Every month:

1. Clean your mouthpiece in cold soapy water (liquid detergent) using a mouthpiece brush.
2. Remove each valve and valve cap, and clean out the valve casing with a valve rod and a lint-free cloth. Wipe the valve, lubricate and refit as above.

Every six months:

1. Remove all the valves, bottom caps and slides and wash the carcass through with cold soapy water and a flexible brush. Use a valve brush for the valve casings.

TIP: Make sure to keep the valves in the correct order from left to right!

2. Rinse the carcass with cold water. Towel dry the outside, then dry the valve casings and tuning slide legs with a valve rod and lint-free cloth.
3. Wash the inside of all the tuning slides with a flexible brush and cold soapy water, rinse and towel dry.
4. Wipe the valves with lint-free cloth, lubricate and reassemble. Apply key oil to mobile slides and triggers on cornets and trumpets. Apply tuning slide grease to all other slides. Refit the slides.
5. Polish the outside with a lacquer/silver cloth.

IMPORTANT: Even lukewarm water can damage lacquer finish, so make sure to use cold. (Lukewarm water is safe to use on silver plate.)

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Silver/lacquer cloth

Lint-free cloth

Mouthpiece brush

Flexible cleaning brush

Valve brush

Valve casing rod

Lubricants/consumables:

Valve oil

Key/rotor oil

Tuning slide grease

Miscellaneous:

Mouthpiece wallet

Instrument stand

Every time you play:

1. Empty moisture from the instrument by removing all slides and shaking them out.
2. Wipe down any areas of the instrument that you've touched, using a lacquer or a silver cloth, depending on the finish. (The acid from your fingertips will damage the finish.)
3. Wipe moisture off the mouthpiece with a lint-free cloth (e.g. a handkerchief), and put it back in its pouch or case (never leave a mouthpiece in the instrument).

Every week:

1. Apply two or three drops of rotor bearing oil to the top and bottom bearings.
2. If applicable, apply two or three drops of linkage oil to both ends of linkages.
3. Check that the top valve cover and all slides move freely. Apply a small amount of tuning slide grease if needed.

Every month:

Clean your mouthpiece in cold soapy water (liquid detergent) using a mouthpiece brush.

Every six months:

1. Remove all the slides and wash the carcass though with cold water only (no detergent), using a flexible brush on the mouthpipe and slides.
2. Towel dry the outside.
3. Apply two or three drops of rotor bearing oil to the top and bottom bearings.
4. Apply two or three drops of linkage oil to both ends of linkages (if applicable).
5. Clean the slides with a flexible brush and lukewarm water, lubricate and refit.
6. Polish the outside of the instrument with a lacquer/silver cloth or duster.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Silver/lacquer cloth or duster

Lint-free cloth

Mouthpiece brush

Flexible cleaning brush

Lubricants/consumables:

Rotor oil

Rotor bearing oil

Rotor linkage oil

Tuning slide grease

Miscellaneous:

Mouthpiece wallet

Instrument stand

Every time you play:

1. As you play, apply water spray to the inner slide.
2. When you finish playing, empty moisture from the slide using the water key.
3. Wipe down any areas of the trombone that you've touched, using a lacquer or a silver cloth, depending on the finish. (The acid from your fingertips will damage the finish.)
4. Wipe moisture off the mouthpiece with a lint-free cloth (e.g. a handkerchief), and put it back in its pouch or case (never leave a mouthpiece in the trombone).

Every week:

1. Clean the mouthpiece in cold soapy water (liquid detergent) using a mouthpiece brush.
2. Check that the tuning slide(s) move freely and apply lubricant as necessary.
3. Remove the outer playing slide. Wipe the slide legs with a lint-free cloth.
4. Apply slide cream sparingly to the bottom of the inner slide, mist with water spray, work in, and reapply as necessary. Alternatively, for professional trombones, lubricate the legs with liquid slide cream (e.g. Slide-O-Mix) according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Every month:

1. Remove the outer playing slide and wipe off old cream from the inner slide legs with a lint-free cloth.
2. Wash the inner and outer slide internally with cold soapy water and a single-ended flexible cleaning brush.
3. Towel dry the outside, and use a cleaning rod and lint-free cloth to dry the inside of the outer slide and remove any cream residue.
4. Lubricate the tuning slide.
5. Rinse the bell section in cold soapy water, using a flexible brush around the tuning slide. Towel dry.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Silver or lacquer cloth

Mouthpiece brush

Flexible cleaning brush

Lubricants/consumables:

Slide lubricant

Water spray

Tuning slide grease

Miscellaneous:

Mouthpiece wallet

Instrument stand

Every time you play:

1. Ensure water is removed from the sockets of wooden instruments.
2. Clean the inside of the instrument with a pull-through or a swab.
3. Wipe down any areas of the instrument that you've touched. Use a duster or a silver cloth and take care around the delicate key-work.

Every week:

1. Clean dust from around the key-work using a soft-bristled brush. Pay special attention to the octave holes, which are very narrow and easily become blocked.

Every month:

1. Check that the cork joints fit together smoothly. Apply a small amount of cork grease if needed. If the joints are stiff, don't force them – they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

When pads become sticky:

1. Place a powder paper or cleaning paper between the pad and the tone hole. Close the pad over the paper for a second, then release it. (Never pull the paper out while the pad is still closed – the pressure will damage the pad.)
2. Repeat two or three times if necessary. If the pads are still sticky, they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Yellow duster

Silver cloth

Chamois pull-through

Octave bush remover

Lubricants/consumables:

Cork grease

Key oil

Bore oil

Powder paper

Miscellaneous:

Instrument stand

Pad saver

Every time you play:

1. Ensure water is removed from the sockets of wooden clarinets.
2. Clean the inside of the clarinet with a pull-through or a swab.
3. Wipe down any areas of the clarinet that you've touched. Use a duster or a silver cloth and take care around the delicate key-work.

Every week:

1. Clean dust from around the key-work using a soft-bristled brush.

Every month:

1. Check that the cork joints fit together smoothly. Apply a small amount of cork grease if needed. If the joints are stiff, don't force them – they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

When pads become sticky:

1. Place a powder paper or cleaning paper between the pad and the tone hole. Close the pad over the paper for a second, then release it. (Never pull the paper out while the pad is still closed – the pressure will damage the pad.)
2. Repeat two or three times if necessary. Pay special attention to the trill (closed) keys, i.e. C sharp, G sharp, E flat and B flat, as these will deteriorate quickest if not well cared for. If the pads are still sticky, they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Yellow duster

Silver cloth

Chamois pull-through

Lubricants/consumables:

Cork grease

Key oil

Bore oil

Powder paper

Miscellaneous:

Instrument stand

Pad saver

Every time you play:

1. Clean the inside of the instrument with a lint-free cloth and cleaning rod.
2. Check that the head crown is securely screwed into the head joint.
3. Wipe down any areas of the flute that you've touched. Use a duster or a silver cloth and take care around the delicate key-work.

Every week:

1. Clean dust from around the key-work using a soft-bristled brush.

Every month:

1. Check that the joints fit together smoothly. They don't need lubrication, but can be eased with a dry lubricant such as candle wax (do not use Vaseline). If the joints are stiff or loose, they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

When pads become sticky:

1. Place a powder paper or cleaning paper between the pad and the tone hole. Close the pad over the paper for a second, then release it. (Never pull the paper out while the pad is still closed – the pressure will damage the pad.)
2. Repeat two or three times if necessary. If the pads are still sticky, they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Silver cloth

Pull-through

Lubricants/consumables:

Key oil

Powder paper

Miscellaneous:

Instrument stand

Pad saver

Every time you play:

1. Clean the inside of the saxophone with pull-through or swab.
2. Wipe down any areas of the saxophone that you've touched. Use a duster or a lacquer or silver cloth and take care around the delicate key-work.

Every week:

1. Clean dust from around the key-work using a soft-bristled brush.

Every month:

1. Check that the cork joints fit together smoothly. Apply a small amount of cork grease if needed. If the joints are stiff, don't force them – they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

When pads become sticky:

1. Place a powder paper or cleaning paper between the pad and the tone hole. Close the pad over the paper for a second, then release it. (Never pull the paper out while the pad is still closed – the pressure will damage the pad.)
2. Repeat two or three times if necessary. Pay special attention to the closed keys, i.e. G sharp and E flat, as these will deteriorate quickest if not well cared for. If the pads are still sticky, they'll need to be looked at by a technician.

Recommended accessories

Cleaning equipment:

Yellow duster

Silver or lacquer cloth

Chamois pull-through

Lubricants/consumables:

Cork grease

Key oil

Bore oil

Powder paper

Miscellaneous:

Instrument stand

Pad saver