Band and Orchestra Instrument Cleaning and Sanitization Tips

 Cleaning to maintain your instrument

Regular cleaning and sanitizing of musical instruments is essential not only for maintaining optimal sound quality but also for ensuring hygienic playing conditions and extending instrument lifespan. Based on current recommendations, proper instrument care involves a combination of routine maintenance after each use and periodic deep cleaning.

Cleaning to Preventing the Spread of Viruses

In the interest of public health and safety for our customers and associates, we offer these practical cleaning tips for staying safe when playing your instrument. There is a difference between sterilization and disinfection of music instruments. Sterilization is limited in how long an instrument will remain sterile.  Once an instrument is exposed to air or handled it is no longer sterile. However, disinfecting an instrument to make it safe to handle will last longer and is easier to achieve. Most viruses, like COVID-19, have a limited lifespan on hard surfaces. 

Studies indicate that the length of time the virus can last on surfaces varies and can be up to:

• Wood – 4 days
• Brass – 5 days
• Plastics – 3 days
• Strings – 3 days
• Cork – 2 days

Note:

• Be more cautious with horns if they have a spit reservoir of some sort. Once they have been cleaned properly there would be a minimal chance for any virus to remain.
• To fully disinfect your mouthpiece, fully immerse it in Sterisole for 1 - 10 minutes. Then rinse with warm water. 

Best Practices for Playing

The best way to keep your instrument clean is to do some simple things to prevent it from getting too dirty.

1. Make sure to keep your hands clean. The best way to ensure your instrument remains clean and functional is to make sure your hands are clean before playing them. Washing your hands with soap and water before playing will help reduce oil buildup and keep your instrument working properly
2. Don't eat before playing. One of the easiest ways the interior of instruments gets dirty is with leftover food particles from a recent meal. Avoid eating right before playing to prevent this from happening.
3. If you must eat, brush or rinse before playing. If you need to eat right before playing, try to brush your teeth or rinse out your mouth before playing to help get rid of as much food as possible.