Fill a tub or large sink with enough room-temperature water to immerse your trumpet.
Remove and soak the valves and all 4 slides from your trumpet. Be careful with your valves. They are made of soft metal that can be easily damaged. Also remember to remove the covers from the bottoms of the valve casings.
Soak all of the parts for about ten minutes. No soaps or other additives are necessary. After soaking, run the snake brush through the long, slender tubes of your horn, and through the removed slides. Use the valve brush on the inside of the valve casings. Be careful not to let any metal parts of the brush scratch inside the casing.
Clean the valves by rubbing them with your hands or a soft cloth. The holes in the valves and the bottoms of the valves can be a little tricky to clean, as can inside the bottom covers of the valve casings. Cotton swabs work well in these places, but avoid leaving lint behind.
Rinse all of the parts with clean room-temperature water.
Oil the valves and grease the slides as you reassemble your horn.
Greasing the slides is important as it helps prevent corrosion, and keeps the slides moving easily. A very small amount of slide grease is all that is needed. You may need to wipe off excess grease with a tissue.
Note: valve oil should not be used as slide grease.
Trumpet slide oil is an alternative to grease. It works very well and is actually a little better for the slides. Unfortunately it is sometimes not kept in stock at music stores (must be ordered). Slide grease/oil will often last from one cleaning to the next. If using petroleum jelly, you may need to apply it more often.
Valve oil does need to be applied often between cleanings. A bottle should always be kept in your trumpet case. It should be applied as soon as the valves become sticky. Valve oil is applied to the smooth, silver-colored section of the valve, (not in the holes or to the upper spring section). Valve oil should not be applied through the valve cover at the bottom of the valve, or through removed slides, as this does not provide good coverage and can wash dirt back into the valves.
Once your horn is clean and reassembled, polish it with a soft cloth to remove oils from your hands or other dirt.
The final step is to clean the mouthpiece. Run it under water, clean the inside with the brush, and rinse it with clean water. Wash the mouthpiece frequently.
One last thing –
Be sure to allow time to scrub the tub when you’re finished! It will need it.
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Remove and soak the valves and all 4 slides from your trumpet. Be careful with your valves. They are made of soft metal that can be easily damaged. Also remember to remove the covers from the bottoms of the valve casings.
Soak all of the parts for about ten minutes. No soaps or other additives are necessary. After soaking, run the snake brush through the long, slender tubes of your horn, and through the removed slides. Use the valve brush on the inside of the valve casings. Be careful not to let any metal parts of the brush scratch inside the casing.
Clean the valves by rubbing them with your hands or a soft cloth. The holes in the valves and the bottoms of the valves can be a little tricky to clean, as can inside the bottom covers of the valve casings. Cotton swabs work well in these places, but avoid leaving lint behind.
Rinse all of the parts with clean room-temperature water.
Oil the valves and grease the slides as you reassemble your horn.
Greasing the slides is important as it helps prevent corrosion, and keeps the slides moving easily. A very small amount of slide grease is all that is needed. You may need to wipe off excess grease with a tissue.
Note: valve oil should not be used as slide grease.
Trumpet slide oil is an alternative to grease. It works very well and is actually a little better for the slides. Unfortunately it is sometimes not kept in stock at music stores (must be ordered). Slide grease/oil will often last from one cleaning to the next. If using petroleum jelly, you may need to apply it more often.
Valve oil does need to be applied often between cleanings. A bottle should always be kept in your trumpet case. It should be applied as soon as the valves become sticky. Valve oil is applied to the smooth, silver-colored section of the valve, (not in the holes or to the upper spring section). Valve oil should not be applied through the valve cover at the bottom of the valve, or through removed slides, as this does not provide good coverage and can wash dirt back into the valves.
Once your horn is clean and reassembled, polish it with a soft cloth to remove oils from your hands or other dirt.
The final step is to clean the mouthpiece. Run it under water, clean the inside with the brush, and rinse it with clean water. Wash the mouthpiece frequently.
One last thing –
Be sure to allow time to scrub the tub when you’re finished! It will need it.
Back to "Links"