How to Clean Trumpets

Save money by cleaning your trumpet regularly at home.

Whether you are a professional musician or a beginner taking lessons, regular cleaning is an essential part of maintaining the quality of your trumpet. Cleaning is inexpensive and can save you from having to pay for costly repairs.Take the time to clean at least once a month to help ensure that your trumpet sounds its best and lasts for years to come. If done correctly, the whole process should take less than half an hour.

Things You'll Need

• Bathtub
• 1 tbsp. mild dish soap
• Towel
• Valve casing brush
• Rag
• Mouthpiece brush
• Trumpet snake

Instructions

1. Fill a bathtub with six inches of lukewarm water and one tablespoon of mild dish soap. Lay out the towel near the bathtub and place the trumpet on top.

2. Unscrew the valve caps and the mouthpiece. Place them in the water. Remove the pistons and set them on the towel, taking care to remember which valve casing each piston belongs to. Take out all slides by gently pulling them out. Place them in the bathtub.

3. Place your trumpet in the water. Make sure you do not scrape your trumpet on the bottom of the bathtub, as this can result in damage to the lacquer.

4. Clean the holes in the first piston using the valve casing brush in a back-and-forth motion. Wipe clean with the rag and set aside. Repeat this process with the second and third pistons.

5. Remove the mouthpiece from the bathtub. Insert the mouthpiece brush and use a back-and-forth motion to clean inside the mouthpiece. Wipe clean with the rag and set aside to dry.

6. Remove the trumpet from the bathtub and place it on the towel. Insert the valve casing brush into the first valve casing and scrape out any residue with an up-and-down motion. Rinse off the valve casing brush and repeat the process with the second and third valve casings.

7. Insert the trumpet snake into the lead pipe and push until you feel resistance. Remove the trumpet snake by slowly pulling it out. Repeat with every open slide and the bell.

8. Wipe the valve caps with the rag, then rinse them and set them on the towel.

9. Drain the bathtub. Rinse the trumpet and slides with lukewarm water, then drain the water out by holding them up and turning them over. Dry everything with the towel. Reassemble the trumpet.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply valve oil to the pistons and slide grease to the slides before putting your trumpet back together. You can buy inexpensive cleaning kits that include a mouthpiece brush, a valve casing brush, a trumpet snake, slide grease, and valve oil, at most music stores.

• Using hot water or abrasive cleaning products such as bleach, ammonia, or harsh scrubbing sponges can destroy the lacquer on your trumpet.

• Do not place the pistons in the water. Doing so will damage the finger pads.

• Cleaning your trumpet slightly alters the way it will feel when you play it, so you need time to adapt. Give yourself at least a week between cleaning your trumpet and any important performance.

References

• Peterson Trumpet: Cleaning Your Trumpet
• Senseney Music: Trumpet Cleaning