Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

If you have a standard half-bell shaped saxophone, cleaning it is quite easy. Cleaning straight saxophones, known as soprano saxophones, requires tools and techniques not listed in this article. After reading this article, you will master the technique and the basics of cleaning your saxophone, learn how to care for your instrument, and maintain a rich sound.

Steps

1. 1 Clean your mouthpiece. Pull out the cane and legato, and scrub out any dirt inside with a mouthpiece brush. Place the mouthpiece in a sink and rinse in warm water. Finally, to dry the mouthpiece, slip a clean piece of lint-free cloth through the mouthpiece. You may need to do this several times to dry the mouthpiece.
2. 2 Clean your neck. Take a bonded brush (looks like a flexible metal hose with a cloth ball at one end and a small brush at the other) and tuck it into the hole in the saxophone's neck. The one that is on the flatter side, a cork is still inserted into it. Brush from the inside and remove all dirt and plaque from bacteria, then brush with a hedgehog. You can also rinse your neck with water, just make sure no water gets on the cork, otherwise it will swell and deform. Also, be careful with the pads on the octave valves.
3. 3 Clean the saxophone body. A standard cleaning kit looks like a long rod with a brush on one side and a rag on the other. Insert the heavier end of the rod into the saxophone body and turn it upside down. Slide the weighted end through the entire saxophone and pull out from the flat end where the neck is attached. Gently pull the brush through the saxophone body. Repeat this cleaning several times. If possible, keep the keys pressed while cleaning. A greenish tint will often appear on the pads after several cleanings. This does not mean that the saxophone rusts inside. When brass comes in contact with air, it reacts with sulfur, causing the metal to tarnish rather than rust. This is due to the fact that the saxophone is made of an alloy of brass and copper or zinc. Since the inside of the instrument is not protected by a varnish coating, tarnishing is normal, and the metal itself will not deteriorate from this. The inside of the saxophone is wiped to dry it out and so that the saxophone pads are not damaged by the growth of plaque from bacteria. We also wipe the saxophone to remove foreign substances from the inside, such as food, drink and saliva residues that get there when we blow into the instrument.
4. 4 Check and clean the keys. The saxophone has many keys, so this can be the most time-consuming. Visually inspect each key, see if there are signs of wear or streaks. If the key is worn out, take the tool to your local workshop to have it replaced. Slip a piece of paper or cotton ball under the pad, close the valve, and slowly pull the paper out. This will clean the pads.
5. 5 Wipe and lubricate the plugs. Dry the neck cork completely and add more cork grease.To "prepare" the cork, rub in some grease and coat with a light coat on top. Do this every week, and you should be able to properly lubricate the cork. After some time, the cork will be saturated with grease; after that do not lubricate it any more, otherwise the plug will wear out faster. Do not try to smear small pieces of cork on the ends of the keys; they are there to push them.
6. 6 Tighten loose screws. Most of the screws used in saxophone come with flat heads, except for Philips. You can tighten the loose screws tighter, but be careful not to overtighten. If you drag, you might not be able to hit the keys to play a high D or F #.
7. 7 Clean your saxophone every month to remove dirt and to prevent metal corrosion.
8. 8 Reassemble your saxophone. It should now sound great, look good and smell good!

Tips

• Remember, you must have two saxophone brushes, one for the neck and one for the body.
• Wipe down the saxophone at least every time you play! Do not fold it wet; This can cause mold and deteriorate some non-brass saxophone parts. Also, wiping the saxophone when it is wet prevents the dirt from drying out, because if it dries it will be much more difficult to clean.
• Ordering a long saxophone brush is not a good idea. After a run, when you take off your shoes and socks, you don't put your socks back into your shoes, do you? This is what you do with a long saxophone brush. Order a good brush and use it to clear any blockages in the horn, neck, and mouthpiece. You can still use the long brush if you like, but as a supplement to the brush. The long brush will clean up small residues of moisture that you may have missed, but you should not leave it in the saxophone for a long time so that the instrument does not deteriorate over time.

Warnings

• Never rinse a thick rubber mouthpiece under hot water! Best to wash in cold or lukewarm water. If washed in hot water, the mouthpiece may become deformed, damaged or discolored.
• Do not attempt to oil, remove scratches, replace pads, or use a saxophone scratch remover. Let the specialists do it. If you rent an instrument, then, as a rule, such services are provided free of charge.
• Never apply valve oil to a saxophone or any woodwind instrument. If you need to lubricate the saxophone valves, take the instrument to the music center.