How To Clean And Oil A Trumpet

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Cleaning your trumpet is a relatively easy process that can increase the life and performance of your instrument. Simply give your trumpet a bath every so often, and keep it clean and in good care in between washes. If you notice something is off about your trumpet at any time, make sure you take it to a professional so that they can properly fix your instrument.

1
Gather your materials. To clean your trumpet you will need a large bin, bucket, or bath tub to place your trumpet in. You will also need two long towels to lay the horn on, a wash cloth, and a polishing cloth to dry the horn with without scuffing the finish. Some dish soap, brushes, including a snake brush and pipe cleaner, will be used to clean your trumpet. Finally, you will need valve oil and slide grease to properly oil your trumpet when you reassemble it.^[1]
- You can usually find the oil and grease at an instrument or music store. If you aren't sure what type of grease and oil to buy, ask one of the workers what they would use for their instrument. You can also purchase kits online that are specifically created to clean trumpets and bass instruments.
- If you don't have a polishing cloth, you can use a microfiber cloth or an old cotton t-shirt. If using a shirt, make sure it is one that has been washed a lot and doesn't have any text on it. You want to avoid scuffing your instrument at all cost. Never use a regular towel to dry off your instrument.
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Disassemble your trumpet. Remove the valves first by unscrewing the top valve caps and gently lift them out. Make note of how they come out and how they are oriented. For example, if you see numbers 1-3 on them and they are facing towards the mouthpiece, that's how you want to put them back. Gently place them in order on a towel how they came out. ^[2]

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Next you want to remove the springs and felt pads that are inside the valves. Unscrew the valve button and lift the top valve cap and felt. Place the felt aside. Next, remove the stem by unscrewing it. Be careful as the spring may want to jump out when the stem is fully out. Set each spring with its corresponding felt in their order (valve 1-3) You will not clean these as they can get damaged if wet. Inspect the springs and felts to make sure they are in good condition. After the valves are removed and placed safely away from damage, remove the main tuning slide, the 1st, 2nd, and third slides.^[3] Be careful not to dent any of the pieces as you take apart your trumpet.^[4]

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1
- Make sure you keep track of how the pieces fit together as you take apart your trumpet. Take a picture of how the valves are oriented when you remove them. Each should have a number indicating which valve it is. Valve one is the one closest to the mouthpiece. ^[5]
- Remove and set aside the springs and valve felts. The valve felts if soaked in water , can affect their shape and hinder the valves' performance. If the springs get wet it can lead to deterioration.
- Sometimes if your valves are not properly oiled, they can get stuck in your trumpet. Removing these parts and the slides should not require much force, so if you are finding it difficult to take them apart, they may be stuck. Don't force them out as this can damage your trumpet. Take your trumpet to a professional so that they can dissemble your trumpet without damaging it.^[6]
2
Fill up a bathtub. Fill up your bathtub about halfway with lukewarm water. As the water is filling the tub, squirt a few drops of dish soap into the water. Make sure you plug up the drain in the bath tub so the water doesn't run out.^[7]
- Using hot water can damage the trumpets finish, so make sure that the water is warm to touch. Cold water won't damage your trumpet necessarily, but it also won't give your trumpet the most effective soaking.^[8]
- If you don't have a tub, you can use a large bucket and fill it with water. Make sure the bucket is long and deep enough that you can lay your trumpet flat in the water.
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Place a towel down in the tub. When you place your trumpet in the tub, you don't want it to dent on the hard surface. Placing a towel down will give it some padding and prevent it from getting banged up while you are cleaning it. Take one of your long towels and set it at the bottom of the tub, spreading it out so it fully covers the bottom of the tub.^[9]
4

Set your trumpet parts down to soak. Once the tub is halfway full, stop the water flow. Then, set the trumpet and its parts down into the water on the towel.(If you wash you're valves it could ruin the felt) Space them out so that they don't bump up against each other in the water. Allow them to soak for 20 minutes or so, letting the dish soap effectively clean them.(The mouthpiece should be in hot water to clean better) ^[10]
5

Clean out the trumpet. After your trumpet has soaked for some time you can begin to clean it out. Using your snake brush and pipe cleaners, clean out the insides of your slides. Run your brushes through the valve casings a few times. Spend some time cleaning out the tubing (lead pipe) closest to the mouthpiece. This area usually gets a lot of build up and bacteria, so you'll want to clean it out thoroughly. Regularly swabbing dry after playing will help keep it cleaner longer^[11]
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Clean the exterior with a washcloth. Leave your trumpet soaking in the water. Then, take a washcloth and dip it in the tub, getting it soaking wet. Then, gently rub the exterior of your trumpet with the washcloth, cleaning any dirt or dust off your trumpet. Make sure you don't brush roughly as this can create scuff marks.^[12]
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Wash pieces out. After you have thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed all of your pieces, unplug the drain in the tub. As the water begins to drain, turn the faucet back on and rinse out your pieces under lukewarm water. Place a towel down on the floor outside of the tub. After you have rinsed out a piece, place it on the towel.^[13]
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Use the polishing cloth to lightly dry your pieces. You want to avoid creating scuff marks on your trumpet at all cost, so make sure you are using a cloth that will not scratch your trumpet. Gently take the cloth and wipe down your instruments, removing the excess water. Then, set them back down on the towel and allow them to air dry the rest of the way.^[14]
- Air drying them will take longer, but it creates the least amount of risk of scuffing your instrument. You can place them in a sunny area for faster drying, or give it a few more hours if you want them to dry inside.
- Make sure you have thoroughly dried out your valves. When the felt pads touch the valves, you do not want them to get wet as this will cause them to lose their shock-absorbing ability. Wipe down the inside and outside of the vales until completely dry, and then allow them to air dry even more.^[15]
9
Put pieces back together and oil your instrument. After your trumpet has dried completely, you can put it back together (it's okay if the mouthpiece is still a little wet as brass instruments are used to a little moisture). Put the slides in first, before the valves. The main tuning and 2nd slides will benefit from some slide grease. If you have a 1st and/or third slide, you can use a slide oil so they move easily. To install the valves, oil them liberally from bottom to top. Gently insert them. Make sure you orient them how they came out. Each valve will have a guide (either metal or plastic) which will "click" into place. You can gently rotate the valve a little until you hear the valve guide go into place. Placing a little grease on the threads of the top and bottom valve caps will make them easier to remove again. ^[16]
- Make sure you don't cake the oil and grease on as this can create build up and hinder the performance of your instrument. Put just enough that the slides and valves can effectively be put back together.
- When you put the valve back into its casing, try not to rotate it as this can cause excessive wear. Carefully insert it into its casing until you hear a "click."^[17]
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1

Be gentle with it. Brass instruments dent easily and when they are dented it makes the instrument more difficult to play. Be careful with your instrument, placing it back in its case or on your lap when you can. Denting your instrument can cause valves or slides to stick. If this happens to your instrument, take it to a repair store so they can fix it professionally.
2

Reapply oil to the valve. This should be done every day or two. Remove the valves from their casing, paying attention to how they fit so you can properly insert them back in. Then, put three to five drops of oil on each valve. Gently place it back in its casing and repeat a few times a week, or when your valves are sticking.
3
Wipe it down regularly. To keep excessive dirt and grime from building up on your trumpet, try to wipe it down daily with a polishing or microfiber cloth. Wipe down all sides of the instrument, especially the areas where you hold the trumpet. This will help keep the trumpet relatively clean between washes.^[18]
- Try to wash the cloth about once a month. Because it will soak up oils and grease from your instrument, it needs to be cleaned along with your trumpet. You don't want to use a dirty cloth, because it won't get the job done.
4

After playing, make sure to empty the spit from your main tuning slide. If you don't have a third valve spit valve, remove the third valve tubing. While holding down all three valves and tilting your trumpet downward, blow a few times to remove as much moisture as possible. Swab your lead pipe if you have one.
5

Wash your instrument every month. While you want to consistently wipe down your instrument when using it, every month or so it will still need a good, deep cleaning. Give your trumpet a "bath" once a month, or once every other month depending on how often you use it. This will keep it in the best condition and allow the trumpet to perform at its best.^[19]

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Add New Question

Question

Can I put my trumpet in laundry detergent instead of dish soap?

No, laundry detergent can damage the plating on the trumpet.
Question

Should the valves be turned any certain direction or be in any specific hole?

They have to fit in the way you took them out. If you put them in the wrong order it could seriously mess up your trumpet. Don't force them because brass is a very soft metal and it costs around 60 dollars to fix.
Question

When "ragging" the tubing, which requires 2 hands, what is used by pro repairmen to hold the trumpet?

Kai Schlegelmann

Community Answer

There are special vices that are made to hold instruments in repair. Those are used to safely hold the instrument while repairing it.
Question

A quick rundown on cleaning my trumpet please!

Remove the valves and slides on at a time and just wipe them clean with a dry paper towel. Then take off the little rings at the bottoms of the valves and wipe inside of there. Finally, take your mouthpiece and run it under lukewarm water. Do not put it in the dishwasher or put it under warm water or it will remove the finish, which is what makes it shiny.
Question

Where did you get this information from so I can know that it's reliable?

At the bottom of the article there is a references list, which list all the websites used for research on this article.
Question

Is this just for trumpets, or is it for any instrument?

This article is mainly focused on trumpets and cornets; however, some of these steps apply to any brass instrument.

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Things You'll Need

Trumpet
Rag or towel larger than the surface area of the trumpet
Liquid dish washing soap (with no abrasives)
Polishing or microfiber cloth
Valve oil
Slide grease
Mouthpiece brush
Cleaning Snake
Polish (Silver polish if you have a silver plated trumpet, lacquer polish for a lacquer finish-optional)

^[20]

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To clean a trumpet, start by filling a tub or large bucket with lukewarm water and a few drops of dish soap. Then, place a towel on the bottom of the tub, and disassemble your trumpet before placing all of the pieces in the water. Next, let the pieces soak for 20 minutes, and use a snake brush, pipe cleaner, and washcloth to clean all of the pieces. Finally, rinse the pieces with lukewarm water, and dry them off using a polishing cloth. For tips on how to take care of your trumpet between cleanings, scroll down!

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