How to Clean a French Horn

This noble instrument deserves the best care.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Penetrating Oil
• Quality LUBRICANTS
• Small Snakes
• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Garden-hose Nozzles
• Terry Cloth Towels
• Vaseline
• Mild Liquid Soap
• Terry cloth towels

Dismantle the Instrument

1. Place a large clean towel on a table in your work area.

2. Extract the valve slides from the rotary casement.

3. Apply two or three drops of penetrating oil to loosen these slides if they are dry of lubricant and resist removal. Avoid excessive force.

4. Avoid removal of the rotary valves inside the casements. Much specialized training is needed to re-string the small interior cords with exactitude.

5. Extract the major tuning slide nearest the bell the way you removed the valve slides. (There may be two if you have a double French horn.)

Immerse, Flush and Re-oil

1. Place a large bath towel on the bottom of a bathtub filled with 8 to 10 inches of lukewarm water.

2. Add 1/2 to 1 full cup of mild soap.

3. Immerse the body of the French horn and the loose tuning pipes in this solution.

4. Turn the instrument several times to ensure that all tubing has water penetration.

5. Allow the horn to soak for a minimum of 4 hours and as long as overnight.

6. Remove and take the tubing to an outdoor location.

7. Fit a garden hose with a spray-gun valve.

8. Wrap a towel around the end of the hose. Place the hose-gun covered with the towel into the bell of the horn.

9. Flush out the buildup on the inside of the tubing with a strong stream of water.

10. Repeat this procedure with each section of tubing.

11. Use a "snake" cable with a small brush on the end to loosen rebellious dirt. Flush again.

12. Carefully rinse, dry and re-oil all parts. Blow the water out of all tubing.

13. Reassemble the instrument using a very slight bit of Vaseline on the slides to facilitate ease of movement when making exact tuning adjustments.

14. Dry the external metal so the lacquer finish is bright and clean.

15. Demonstrate your skill by playing a Wagnerian theme. How about the "Ride of the Valkyries"?

Tips & Warnings

• Removal and re-stringing of the rotary valves is permissible if your private French horn teacher has provided you with appropriate instruction.

• Some players use a chamois cloth on their laps or inside the French horn bell. This protects clothing from oil and moisture.

• The lacquer on the inside of the bell of the French horn protects the instrument from deterioration caused by hand perspiration.

• Avoid the use of force during assembly or disassembly.