Brass Care & Cleaning

About Brass Care and Cleaning

Regular cleanings and occasional adjustments are important tasks for anyone who cares about the well-being of their brass instrument and it's for this reason why every brass instrumentalist must own brass care and cleaning supplies. For the exterior of a brass instrument a soft cloth dipped in mild soap and water will do just the trick but a little more care is required for its interior. Before starting anything the instrument will have to be dissembled: remove its pistons slides and tuning slides. If the brass instrument has rotary valves a musician should be confident that they know how to withdraw them and put them back before getting down to business.

The tubing of a brass instrument can be cleaned easily with a kitchen hose and brush. Use a rifle cleaning rod and cloth for straight sections of tubing but be careful to not insert too much cloth into the tube as it will be more difficult to pull out. A bit of water pressure soap and soft washing should free any dust and grime from the tubing. Note: if the brass instrument can't be dissembled or put back together smoothly something is awry. The good news is that there are plenty of top-rated valve oils and slide oils available that will have valves and slides back to working condition in no time - Giardinelli in particular offers excellent oils and care kits. If there's still trouble it's always best to bring the brass instrument to a repair shop/tech.