INSTRUMENT CARE AND CLEANING

Moisture, fingerprints and dust cause the most damage to musical instruments. Moisture left in and on instruments will ruin pads and rust the key mechanisms on woodwinds, and corrode finishes on valves and trombone slides. As important as it is to keep an instrument clean, it is equally important to keep instruments lubricated. Lack of lubrication will also cause excessive wear to key mechanisms and trombone slides. Report any problems with a school owned instrument to the Director immediately.

CLEANING OF WOODWIND INSTRUMENTS

AFTER EVERY PLAYING:

1. Remove reed from mouthpiece. Remove mouthpiece. Drain all moisture, swab out insides (except saxes), and wipe all fingerprints from key mechanisms and outside of instrument.
2. Spray mouthpiece with Alcohol solution.

EVERY WEEK:

1. Remove the mouthpiece cap and ligature from mouthpiece in lukewarm water (NOT HOT) and mild soap. Rinse and dry.

2. Remove dust between and underneath keys.

3. Grease corks before they feel dry, or an instrument is hard to assemble.

EVERY 6-8 WEEKS:

1. Lubricate key mechanisms with a small drop of key oil wherever one metal part moves against another.

2. Wipe off excess oil! Too much oil collects dust and ruins pads.

CLEANING OF BRASS INSTRUMENTS

AFTER EVERY PLAYING:

1. Drain all water from the instrument and wipe off all fingerprints.
2. Spray mouthpiece with Alcohol solution.

EVERY WEEK:

1. Oil valves (and slide on trombone). Remember that if valves and slide become sluggish, the instrument is already being ruined.

EVERY 6-8 WEEKS (more often during marching season)

PISTON VALVE INSTRUMENTS

1. Remove and soak all piston valves, slides, mouthpieces, and the rest of the instrument in lukewarm water and mild soap.

2. Clean insides of slides with a brush.

3. Rinse, air dry thoroughly, lubricate valves and slides, reassemble instrument, and polish outside (don’t use metal polish on lacquered instruments, lacquer polish is available from the music store).

 

ROTARY VALVE INSTRUMENTS

1. Run lukewarm water and mild soap through instrument, pressing down keys so water goes through entire instrument. Rinse.

2. Remove and soak slides and mouthpiece in lukewarm water and soap.

3. Clean insides of slides with a brush.

4. Rinse, air dry thoroughly, lubricate valves and slides, reassemble instrument, and polish instrument (don’t use metal polish on lacquered instruments, lacquer polish is available from the music store).

 

TROMBONES

1. Remove and soak handslide, tuning slide, mouthpiece, and the rest of the instrument in lukewarm water and mild soap.

2. Wipe off all lubricant from handslide, and brush out insides of handslide and tuning slide.

3. Rinse, air dry thoroughly, lubricate, reassemble, and polish instrument (do not use metal polish on lacquered instruments, lacquer polish is available from the music store).

PERCUSSION

AFTER EVERY REHEARSAL:

Wipe down frequently touched surfaces (including mallets/sticks) with an sanitizing wipe.

Make sure that all percussion accessories are put away in the percussion cabinet. All keyboards and timpani must be covered after every rehearsal. Put all of your mallets back into your stickbag and secure them in your locker. Place all school owned mallets (bass drum, chime, gong, etc.) back into the percussion cabinet.

 

If you see something not covered or lying out, even if you were not the one using it, cover it or put it away!

THIS IS A TEAM EFFORT!!