Tuesday, December 3, 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.

First, you need to keep the instruments dry at all times. Nickel or brass musical instruments can corrode easily if they are exposed to moisture. This is because moisture contains oxygen which causes oxidation when it mixes with water. You should always keep your instruments dry in order to prevent corrosion. Also, wooden instruments absorb water. This can make them expand thus distorting their original shape. Ensure that excess moisture is wiped out so as to make your instruments serve you for long.

The woodwind instruments have pads that are used to cover the holes so as to produce different sounds. If the pads absorb water, they become wet and may not be able to cover the holes well. This makes the instrument unable to produce high quality sound. To improve the quality of sound produced by the woodwind instrument, ensure that the pads are dry at all times.

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.

The saliva of human beings also contains some corrosive acids. A good example is the carbonic acid. You can also find other acids formed from different types of foods consumed. These acids attack the soft solder that is used in most instruments. To eliminate such acids, you need to clean the inside of your instruments after use.

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.

Unwanted materials can also affect your musical instruments. Foreign materials such as food particles can enter into your wind instruments and cause blockage. When blocked, these instruments cannot produce high quality sound. Also, such unwanted materials can enter into your lungs and cause health complications. So, it is important that you remove such materials from your instruments to keep them extremely clean.

Corrosion may also occur on piston valves. Foreign materials may also accumulate in the same piston valves. The affected valves may not work properly. Note that valves are fitted tightly and a small amount of dirt between the piston and the casing may cause a lot of problems. It is therefore advisable to have your instrument inspected regularly. You can hire a professional in instrument cleaning to thoroughly inspect your instruments.




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