6. Having a Bath together? Now, that would be over the top!

This general principle is true for both instruments, of course: good care is everything! Ideally, they should be cleaned after each use. This does not mean, however, that the complicated injstruments need to be disassembled. The mouthpiece should definitely be cleaned every time. Musicians can do this with mouthpiece brushes and snake brushes.

Care equipment

Apparently, however, there are musicians who are not aware of this in spite of heving played for years. Generally, the moisture inside the instrument should be reduced as far as possible before putting it back into its box. We'll leave the horrors of overly moist bags and cases to your imagination at this point...

But how can I get the moisture out?

The most important device in this repect are the water valves, which you're probably employing while playing anyway. Remaining moistrure is then removed after playing using swabs and other tools. But there will always remain a tiny rest of moisture, and since spit is not destillated water, this means that there will be some acidity left in the instrument, which will corrode the metal. To minimise this, a bath in lukewarm water every few weeks or months, depending on how often you use the instrument, is just what the doctor ordered.

This is a bath for the instrument, not the musician, mind you! Both instruments really impress with their shiny surface, so you should take care to maintain or restore this shine after playing. Finger prints and water marks can be removed with a soft cloth, and tarnished instruments can be polished using a special polishing fluid, which will also protect your intrsument somewhat from further tarnishing. But bathing and wiping is by no means all there is!

The valves, too, require care. They must be oiled regularly, otherwise they won't run smoothly. Your preferred instrument dealer will be able to advise you on which oils and greases are suitable. If you want to enjoy your instrument for a long time, you should devote proper attention and resources to care and care equipment.

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