Cleaning Woodwind Instruments:
Flute
Clarinet
Saxophone
- Wipe the lip plate with an alcohol wipe.
- Swab the inside of the instrument using the tuning rod and the cleaning cloth. Run it through a few times until the instrument is dry inside.
- Wash the cleaning cloth in the laundry. If you are concerned about the colour running, you can hand wash with laundry detergent!
Clarinet
- Fill a short, narrow glass half-full with mouthwash. Stand your mouthpiece in the cup upside down, ensuring the mouthwash does not touch the cork. Soak for at least 20 minutes, then brush out with mouthpiece brush or toothbrush.
- Swab the inside of the instrument using the cleaning cloth. Run it through a few times until the instrument is dry inside.
- Wash the cleaning cloth in the laundry. If you are concerned about the colour running, you can hand wash with laundry detergent!
Saxophone
- Fill a short, narrow glass 3/4 full with mouthwash. Place your mouthpiece upside down in the glass. The entire mouthpiece can be submerged, as sax mouthpieces don't have cork. Soak for at least 20 minutes, then brush out with mouthpiece brush or toothbrush.
- Swab the inside of the instrument using the cleaning cloth. Run it through a few times until the instrument is dry inside.
- Wash the cleaning cloth in the laundry. If you are concerned about the colour running, you can hand wash with laundry detergent.
Cleaning Brass Instruments: How to give your instrument a BATH
Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba ONLY - This should be done every few months.
Supplies needed: Sink or bathtub, cleaning snake, mouthpiece brush, dish soap, paper towel, old towel, valve oil, slide grease/slide cream
Supplies needed: Sink or bathtub, cleaning snake, mouthpiece brush, dish soap, paper towel, old towel, valve oil, slide grease/slide cream
- Fill bathtub with warm (not hot) water and squirt of dish soap
- Take apart entire instrument
- Set valves aside. They must not get wet. Pay attention to the numbers on the valves (1-2-3) as they must go back in the right casings
- Soak instrument, slides and mouthpiece for 20 minutes
- Brush mouthpiece out with mouthpiece brush. Use snake to clean inside the other pieces. Do not force snake around corners, as it can become stuck. Just straight in and out.
- Rinse, remove from water, and set all pieces on an towel to dry
- Grease all slides and then reassemble. Oil valves. (valve #1 goes closest to mouthpiece, #3 is furthest from mouthpiece)