Cleaning is a crucial task in the flute playing process. Who would want to play the flute that has been cleaned for a long time?
No one! There is this cleaning process that you should maintain daily, and there is some cleaning process that you are supposed to be done at regular intervals.
Here, we will show you the steps for cleaning a silver flute depending on the various cleaning process.
We will provide you with vital information about the cleaning process too. Let’s start with a discussion of the cleaning processes.
Daily Cleaning
If you play the flute daily, you need to clean it after every playing session. A flute gets covered with moisture and germs after using it. If you don’t clean it right away, that is clearly an unhygienic way of practicing music. Also, not cleaning the flute can cause severe damage to the flute.
The moisture will turn into stains, and there will be black spots on your flute when you don’t perform the regular cleaning routine. Also, the flute will turn yellowish or tarnished day by day. Nobody wants a silver flute like that!
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Supplies You Need For Daily Cleaning
- Micro-fiber cloth for cleaning the upper side
- Silk cloth for cleaning the inside
- Cleaning rod
- Pad juice: You will need a small amount of this liquid.
- Cleaning stripe: You use one end and cut it off.
- Pad drying stripes: They are reusable
Step 1
Put the micro-fiber cloth inside the cleaning rod’s eye and then wrap the cloth around the rod. Next, gently put it inside the flute. Then, move the road in the direction you wrapped the cloth. Please do it for a while and then take out e rod.
Step 2
The inside of the flute is cleaned. Time to clean the upper side, and it’s simple. All you need to do is wipe down the whole body with the silk cloth. Please try not holding it tight and wiping it with force.
Step 3
Once the inside and outside it cleaned, you need to clean the flute keys. Move your finger back and forth to clean the key.
Step 4
Next, you need to clean the pads under the keys, as they get wet mostly. To clean the pads, you need to wipe the pads with a cleaning stripe by applying some pad juice.
Step 5
To clean the pads, first, apply some pad juice on the cleaning stripe. Then, place it under a key and press the key. Next, lift the key and brush the pad back and forth with the stripe to clean it properly. These steps are done to kill the germs inside the pad, and it doesn’t necessarily dry up the wet pads.
Step 6
When disinfecting is done, you need to dry the pads. For that, put the drying stripe under the key, and press it once. Next, lift the key and take out the drying stripe. You can clean the rest of the keys the same way.
Tips And Cautions For Daily Cleaning
- Don’t worry about spending money on the items. You won’t have to use too much of them to clean a flute. Especially, pad juice, stripes, and alcohol will not run out any sooner.
- Don’t put water directly on the flute.
- If you want to clean with water, use a spray bottle containing a mixture of water and disinfectant. Apply the mixture on the cleaning cloths and wipe down the flute.
- Experts do not suggest water to clean the flute as it does it clean it properly. But the mixture of disinfectant makes it considerably effective as a cleaning solution.
- Use a small amount of water.
- You can use alcohol too. But, use a spray bottle and cleaning cloths that we have suggested.
- Daily cleaning will help you to keep your flute shiny and clean.
- Don’t rub hard. Always remember to go slow while cleaning your flute.
- Don’t spray water into the keypads; they will be damaged.
- Don’t clean the key vigorously. It could affect the mechanism of the keys.
- Don’t use just some random paper to clean the pads or some random cloth to wipe the flute.
Polishing The Flute
Polishing is essential too, and you won’t keep your flute entirely shiny and clean if you don’t polish it. You don’t have to polish a flute every day. This process is needed to be done every 2 to 3 days, and polishing is simple too.
Supplies You Need To Polish A Silver Flute
- Silver cloth
- Rubbing Alcohol: Isopropyl, Ethyl, and Methyl. You can collect any of the three alcohol types.
- Spaying bottle
Step 1
Spray a small rubbing alcohol on the silver cloth, and then wipe down the whole flute body up and down slowly. Next, you can take your two-finger under the cloth and gradually brush the flute’s body to make it shiny.
Step 2
Wipe the keys too. Don’t press too hard; move your finger back and forth a few times. You can use your index finger to clean the keys.
Cautions And Tips For Keeping A Flute Shiny
- Never spray alcohol on the keypads.
- Damaged keypads won’t help to create the best music with your flute.
- Don’t even think about using silver polish. An adept flute mechanic should do it.
- Avoid touching alcohol with your hand; it will irritate your skin.
- Collect anti-tarnish paper, and keep it in the flute case to ensure your flute is not getting yellow stains. And you will have to turn the side every 4 to 6 months.
- Cleaning the flute inside with alcohol is unnecessary, but you can use it as a disinfectant.
- You can buy alcohol wet wipes too to clean and make the flute shiny. But they are not as effective as rubbing alcohol.
On A Final Note
There is no alternative to cleaning a flute to keep it germ-free and shiny. The cleaning processes are straightforward, but you have to clean it following the right steps and collect the right materials.
If you really care about your silver flute, kindly follow the steps and information we have given away. Otherwise, you might have to spend double the money for a single mistake. Also, you might be losing your lovely flute. Please keep it clean, and glossy, and make amazing tunes!