How to Clean Spit Out of a French Horn

Even if you're careful not to blow any actual spit into your French horn as you play it, you will still need to clean liquid out of it from time to time. This is because the breath you blow into the horn is warm, which creates a humid environment inside the horn. This creates condensation on the inside walls of the horn, and this condensation trickles down with gravity and eventually accumulates to the point that it affects the horn's sound.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• French horn
• Sink or trash can
• Soft cloth

1. 
   The round valve at the top of the row of four valves is the spit valve

   Look at the back of the horn (the side you hold against your body as you play). If you see a fourth valve next to the three tonal key valves, it's a spit valve. Hold the horn over a sink or trash can and depress the lever on the spit valve to allow spit to drain out. Tilt and shake the horn as necessary to get as much spit as possible out of the spit valve.

2. Remove the mouthpiece by pulling it off the horn firmly.

3. Remove all three slides; two on the back and one on the front. The slides are just like the slides on a trombone, only shorter. They're movable bends in the horn that are bisected by thin metal rods that serve as handles.

4. Hold the horn over a sink or trash can and slowly turn it around and around like a steering wheel. Since there's such a maze of pipes in a French horn, this is the most-thorough way to clean it. You may turn it completely around several times before the last of the spit drains out, but once it's done dripping, you can stop.

5. Wipe any wet spots dry with a clean, soft cloth. Replace the slides and the mouthpiece.

Tips & Warnings

• If the slides need to be re-greased, this might be a good time to do it. You can tell your horn needs to be drained when you hear a spraying or gurgling noise as you blow.