How to Clean and Maintain a Trumpet

In this article you will learn how to clean and maintain your trumpet.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A cleaning kit purchased at any music store or valve oil, snake, polishing cloth, mouthpiece brush, slide grease

1. Run a couple of inches of warm soapy water in the bathtub. Not too hot, just warm and use any mild dish washing detergent. Place a soft towel in the bottom of the tub so as not to scratch the tub or the trumpet.

2. Disassemble your trumpet. Take out the mouthpiece, valves and slides and place them in tub making sure you are setting them on the towel that you have already placed in the bottom of the tub.

3. Clean the mouthpiece with the mouthpiece brush. With the same brush clean the valves and slides. Use a snake for slides that are rounded in the middle.

4. Rinse with warm water and dry.

5. Polish your trumpet to a sparkling shine with the polishing cloth included in your kit. If you did not purchase a kit you can purchase a polishing cloth at your local music store.

Tips & Warnings

• You can buy a cleaning kit at any music store. This is more economical than buying the individual supplies. After you have washed your trumpet you will need to oil the valves before you put them back in. The valves are numbered so look for the number and place corresponding valve to corresponding number into the valve casings. Make sure you also use slide grease on the slides before placing them back in the trumpet.
• ALWAYS remember to oil the valves before placing them back in the valve casings. If you don't do this you risk ruining the valves.

[baxter1221]

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