Wednesday, December 4, 2013

The Importance Of Instrument Cleaning

By Angela Briggs


Regular instrument cleaning and maintenance is essential to keeping them in proper working condition. It is advisable to have your instruments inspected and serviced by a professional on regular basis. The inspection is quite important because you will know whether or not your instruments need to be cleaned.

To begin with, you should keep your instruments away from moisture. This is vital because some instruments like those made of brass and nickel can corrode if exposed to excess moisture. Also, wooden ones are likely to expand and later split after absorbing excess water. For that reason, you need to keep their surfaces dry at all times. Use a piece of cloth to wipe out any water deposits on the surfaces of the instruments.

Certain instruments such as the woodwind have pads that cover holes that are used for producing different tones. When the pads become wet, they cannot properly cover the holes so as to produce quality sound. It is advisable that you keep the pads dry so that they can perform their work as required. Wipe out any moisture that settles on them using a dry piece of cloth. This will make them remain dry all the time.

Acids from the body may also cause harm to your music instruments. These acids usually come out of the body through a process known as perspiration. They include hydrochloric acid, lactic, and many others. Such acids attack metals such as brass, aluminum and nickel. To prevent your instruments from being attacked by these acids, wipe out the perspiration every time you use your musical instruments.

There are also other acids contained in the saliva. An example of such acids is the carbonic acid. Others are formed in the mouth depending on the foods consumed and the cleanliness of the mouth. Such acids affect solder that is used on certain instruments. Make sure that you thoroughly clean the inner side of the gadgets so as to remove such acids.

There are people who use water instead of oil to lubricate their instruments. Hard water is not suitable for lubrication. This is because it has salts that can attack the devices and reduce their efficiency. They do this by forming white deposits on your musical instruments after use. You should opt for distilled water any time you want to lubricate your instruments. They water should be wiped out immediately after using them to prevent further attacks.

Foreign materials can also harm your instruments. Food particles or any other stuff can cause blockage in wind instruments. Note that instruments with some blockages cannot produce quality sound. Materials that cause such blockage should be cleaned immediately. Remember that they may find their way to your lungs as you blow the instrument, which is actually health hazard.

Corrosion may also attack the piston valves of your musical instruments. Foreign substances are also likely to accumulate in the piston valves rendering them inefficient. If dirt builds up in these pistons, the entire instrument may not work properly. You must ensure that all the dirt is removed for the instruments to be efficient. Consider looking for an instrument cleaning professional to do the work on your behalf.




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