How to Clean a Trumpet at Home
Items Needed:- Bathtub
- Paper Towels
- Soft Cloth
- Bath Towel
- Cleaning brush
- Laundry Soap (Dreft, Ivory Snow)
- “Snake” brush
- Valve Oil
- Slide Grease
- Polishing Rag
Preparation:
1. Fill the bathtub with about 6 inches of lukewarm water, enough to cover the trumpet lying on its side. Take a small amount of Dreft or Ivory laundry soap and mix into the water with your hands until it is a bubbly mixture.
2. Lay the bath towel flat on the floor alongside the bathtub.
3. Dismantle all the parts of the trumpet on the bath towel. Lay them out in an ordered fashion to help yourself with reassembly when finished cleaning. Use paper towels to remove oil from the valves and grease from the slides.
Cleaning:
1. Place all parts of the trumpet except for the valves into the bathtub. If your valves do not have numbers, lay them in proper order so you do not mix them up. Lay the trumpet on its side in the bathtub. Carefully, place all slides and the mouthpiece into the tub, allowing space so that the pieces don't hit each other.
2. Leave the parts to soak in the soapy water for 30 minutes.
3. Run the “snake” brush through the tubing of the instrument. This helps remove any buildup inside the tubing that cannot be removed by simply running water through. Dip the valves into the water (don’t submerge) and gently scrub the metal with a brush (an old toothbrush works fine). Remove the valves, rinse, and wipe dry with a clean, soft cloth.
4. Clean the valve casings and valve caps thoroughly with the cleaning brush. Use the mouthpiece brush (shaped like a narrow cone) to scrub the inside of the mouthpiece, inserting from both directions. (The mouthpiece should be cleaned regularly especially if the user has been sick.)
5. DO NOT use the scrubbing brushes on the outside of the instrument. This can remove the finish of the instrument.
Reassembly
1. Remove the parts from the bathtub and rinse in lukewarm water to remove any soap residue. Gently dry all of the pieces with a soft, clean cloth.
2. Oil the valves. Most trumpet valves have numbers etched on the upper side of the valve to match up with the corresponding valve casing. The first valve is closest to the mouthpiece.
3. Put a small amount of grease on the slides using your finger. Insert the slides and remove excess grease with a paper towel or soft cloth.
Tips and Warnings:
1. Try blowing air through the fully assembled instrument. If the trumpet gives a lot of resistance the valves are not in properly. First make sure each valve is in the correct valve casing by checking for etched numbers on the top of the valves. If that does not correct the problem, the valves are not lined up. Click them in place or be sure to match the valve guides to the grooves inside the valve casing.
2. Wipe the outside of the trumpet dry. After that, you may use a polishing rag on the outside of the trumpet. Gently buff the outside with the polishing rag to get the final look. Trumpets mainly come in two finishes: lacquer (gold color) and silver. There are specific rags for each finish, so before polishing, check to see if the rag matches your trumpet’s specific finish. Never use a metal or silver polishing compound on a musical instrument.