To keep you instrument in good condition, you need to take care of it correctly. We have put together this brief guide of hints and tips to help you.

Every time you use your instrument:

  • Ensure no food, sweets or sugary drinks are consumed just before or during play as this can clog up the instrument.
  • Check that the valves have a sufficient amount of oil on them. I recommend the Rocket Professional Valve Oil. For Trombones or instruments with other moving parts, make sure the slide moves freely. If not, some SuperSlick Trombone Cream will sort it out!
  • Wipe the instrument down after play with a lacquer cloth like the Bach 3952. Sweat can cause issues to the lacquer if the instrument is not cleaned sufficiently.
  • Check the instrument over. If something looks out of place ask your teacher or a technician to inspect it for you.

Every two weeks:

  • Take the valves out of their casing (remembering which valve came from where) and wash down with warm soapy water to remove residue
  • Give the internal casing a wipe down with a damp cloth and a valve cleaning brush 
  • Make sure the valve and casing are dry
  • Put a few drops of valve oil on the bottom section of each valve, spinning to make sure the whole surface has a thin layer of oil.
  • Replace them in the order and location they came from. 
  • Give the mouthpiece a wash with warm soapy water using a mouthpiece cleaning brush.

Every few months:

  • The instrument will need bathing to clean the inside. Fill your bath with warm water and a small amount of washing liquid so that the instrument is partially submerged
  • Take the valves, mouthpiece, valve caps and tuning slides off the instrument and leave them to soak in the bath for about 20 minutes.
  • Use a cleaning brush to clean the valve casing, valves and mouthpiece thoroughly.
  • Rinse the instrument thoroughly, making sure there are no suds left.
  • Dry as much as you can. Leave the inside to dry naturally.
  • Once dry, oil up the valves (as above), grease the slides and put the instrument back together. 

The frequency of the above will depend of course on how much you use the instrument. Two weeks and a few months are just guide timescales. If you have any questions about any of the above or you have a question that's not been covered, please Contact Us.