Let’s be honest. Cleaning brass instruments is kind of gross. And time consuming. Here’s a photo of a recent cleaning session for my stable of horns.
Fun, right?
I didn’t include any pictures of the weird floaties that were left over.
I remember hearing an anecdote about John Faddis using a clarinet swab in his lead pipe and tuning slide after he was done playing each day. It always struck me as odd that brass instruments didn’t have a daily cleaning tool. I would say a brass instrument needs daily cleaning, desperately.
Motivated by my latest cleaning marathon to find some alternatives, I recently bought two interesting products which could shake up your maintenance routine. Although you can’t get out of a trumpet bath time entirely, you could cut down your bath sessions significantly with either one of these. I’m not an affiliate for either product. Each has their strong pros and cons.
Blow Dry Brass
When I first came across Blow Dry Brass, I pictured blowing hot air through the horn with a blow dryer. Instead, it’s actually a small, magical foam cylinder that you blow through your horn–1 time with the valves open, and once with them depressed.
An important consideration is your trumpet should be totally clean before using Blow Dry Brass. It’s also recommended to do a full running water rinse of your trumpet every month or so. Finally, the company says if you only halfway depress your valves, the bit could become stuck.
Their endorsement page includes recommendations from Rick Baptist, Chuck Findley, and other heavyweights. Not bad!
Purchasing information: Dealers
Pros:
- Very creative.
- Isopropyl alcohol should effectively kill the bacteria that usually thrives inside your horn.
- Fast and efficient.
- Avoids the potential for dings and dents that can happen with traditional cleaning methods since you don’t have to remove any slides. This is a huge benefit IMO.
Cons:
- Squeezing the foam “bit” is kind of gross.
- It seems like I am going to get some of the alcohol in my mouth if I am inserting the bit with my hands into the leadpipe, and then blowing on the lead pipe.
- The “ramrod” leaves a bunch of white debris in my mouthpiece. Maybe I’m using it incorrectly?
- May require more oiling of your valves.
HollywoodWinds Brass Swab
This reusuable swab is the rough equivalent of a saxophone cleaning brush. I should say swabs because it comes with a two pack–one swab for the lead pipe, and another for the valves. I’ve been using these after practicing sessions, and also after I do a bathtub clean to help dry out leftover moisture.
I couldn’t find a website for them, but they do carry these on Amazon.
Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Grabs larger debris effectively.
- Reusable.
Cons:
- Leaves residual moisture.
- Doesn’t address bacteria.
- Although they are reusable, I’m not sure how long you could use them before they become gross.
- You do have to remove slides and valves to use.
Conclusion
Alas, there’s no way to avoid traditional cleaning methods entirely. However, these two products are helpful in preventing red rot with regular use, and in extending the lifetime of your horns.
What secrets do you use for trumpet cleaning? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Trumpet Madness 