It’s Spring and the birds are making their nests and the cacti flowers are just about to bloom! It’s a time of beginnings, of getting things refreshed and in order. If you’re getting your Spring cleaning game on, make sure to include this basic “Clarinet Spring Cleaning Checklist” that’s filled with simple, quick and refreshing upkeep to-do’s that will make things feel nicer for you and your clarinet this Spring.
Wash Mouthpiece
We’ll get started at the very top of our instrument with the mouthpiece. Being the part of your instrument that makes direct contact with your mouth, it tends to get grody. A simple and effective way of keeping a clean mouthpiece is to run it under lukewarm water and then use a q-tip to gently clean the inside and outside of the mouthpiece. You can dry the outside of the mouthpiece with a microfiber cloth to avoid any scratching. *This might also be a good time to replace your mouthpiece patch!
Clean Out Tone Holes
Dust and grime accumulates in the tone holes. This affects tone quality and intonation! Take a q-tip or pipe cleaner and gently wipe the tone holes moving in a gentle, circular motion. Be prepared- you might be surprised with what comes out! *This is also a good time to clean off any dust that’s accumulated between/under keys.
Oil Keys
This one is fantastic for maintaining the key work on your clarinet! One drop is all you really need at all the crevices between the ball ends and the keys. Simply add a drop, press the corresponding keys to get the oil moving, and wipe off any excess oil.
Polishing Cloth
Once you’ve done all of the above, grab your polishing cloth and give all your keys a nice shining. I like to wipe my keys after any playing I do, just to keep any grime from accumulating. And if your keys are nickel plated, this is an especially good habit to get into so that you keep the nickel from wearing off for as long as possible.
Sort Reeds
Reeds, reeds, reeds! We can end up with SO MANY in our reed case and lose track of what’s even playable. Take time to go through all your reeds and immediately discard those that no longer work. Set yourself up for playing success by knowing what reeds are in your case.
Now, take a deep breath…ah, doesn’t your clarinet feel better? The more care you give your clarinet, the less issues you’ll run into. Which means more time focused on making music! Pro-tip: While Spring is a great time to clean and tidy, this checklist is a great one to go through at least once a month! Feel free to message me or sign up for a lesson!