If you're going to do your best drumming, you need your instruments to be at their best too, and that means clean cymbals. Cymbals are commonly made of copper alloys, though there's a lot of variation in the specifics. Some are made from red or yellow brass (copper and zinc), while others are made from bronze (copper and tin) or an alloy of copper and nickel. Regardless of alloy, most cymbals can be cleaned with the same kinds of products. Always check with the manufacturer before using household cymbal cleaner, as some cymbals are treated with special finishes that require very specific cleaning.
Cymbal Cleaning Best Practices
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No matter what products you use to clean them, treat cymbals with a great deal of care to protect them from the oils and dirt on your fingers. Wear nitrile gloves when you're cleaning cymbals or if you're working with bare hands, carry them by their edges to prevent creating fingerprints. Cushion a cymbal on a towel while you're cleaning it and don't let a cymbal bump against anything metal. Metal-on-metal contact can damage cymbals.
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Cleaning frequency is a matter of personal preference. Copper develops rust like other metals, but it appears as greenish oxidation rather than the reddish rust that appears on iron. Some drummers like the sound of cymbals that have developed some oxidation and prefer to let it build up. Others clean their cymbals after every use to try to keep oxidation from occurring at all.
Cleaning Cymbals With Household Products
Drummers have experimented with all kinds of homemade cymbal cleaners over the years. People have tried using things like ketchup, toothpaste, all-purpose cleaners, and vinegar to remove oxidation and make dull cymbals look brighter, with varying results. Some drummers have even tried cleaning cymbals with WD-40.
If you need an effective DIY cymbal cleaner, look no further than the same thing that people commonly use to clean tarnished copper: lemon juice. It's acidic enough to dissolve dirt, oils, and oxidation, and it's safe and easy to handle. Cut a lemon in half and rub the cut end over the cymbals, following the grooves. You should start to see the metal get brighter and shinier with every pass of the lemon.
That said, you don't need to use an acidic cleaner every day. Save that for serious cleaning and/or treating oxidation. In between heavy cleanings, simply dip a clean microfiber cloth in a bowl of warm, soapy water and wipe the cymbals to remove dirt or anything that has spilled on them. Immediately dry the cymbals with a second cloth.
Cleaning Cymbals With Cymbal Cleaner
If you decide not to risk using homemade cymbal cleaners, grab some cymbal cleaner and polish that's designed for your specific type of cymbal finish. Cleaning cymbals with this kind of product is usually as simple as squeezing a small amount of cleaner onto a dry cloth and rubbing a thin layer onto the cymbals. Wipe away any excess with a dry cloth or rinse the cymbals and then dry them.