Monday, November 25, 2013

The Benefit Of Musical 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.

Body acids are also said to be very harmful. They are said to attack metallic musical instruments through corrosion. Some of these body acids are hydrochloric, lactic, and many other acids. If perspiration occurs through your hands, make sure that you wipe it out immediately before it attacks the instrument you were playing.

The saliva from the mouth also contains some acids that may attack metal. For instance, carbonic acid is usually present in the saliva. Other acids are also formed in the mouth depending on the kind of food eaten and the hygienic condition of the mouth. Soft solder is affected by acids from saliva. Areas that are soldered can be eaten out entirely by these saliva acids. That is why the inside of musical instruments should be cleaned thoroughly in order to remove these acids.

Water is sometimes used to lubricate the rotary parts of musical instruments. You should note that water contains salts that can harm your instruments. If you use salty water to lubricate the instruments, you will see some white substances deposited on parts of your instrument after the water has dried. Such substances can make the instruments not to work properly. It is advisable that you use distilled water if you cannot get oil.

Foreign matter can also affect the quality of sound produced by musical instruments. A surprising amount of foreign materials and that accumulate in wind instruments can cause blockage if not cleaned out. This could also be unhealthy because the food materials can enter into your lungs and cause some health complications.

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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