TromboneChat

I just got my first de-lacquered instrument and was thinking, what‘s the best way to clean without losing any of the character? I really like the look of it, just wanting to give it a good clean before playing.

Cold water and weak detergent in the bath?

Depends on the goal of the cleaning. I usually just wipe mine down with a cloth. Sometimes I clean the insides, and it goes in the shower or bath tub, with a snake or long brush where appropriate. If I want it to shine and get rid of the spots, I might use some polish paste.

If you're worried about the residue on the unfinished brass getting on your hands or clothes, then use a grip or wrap on the horn, or you could even use gloves or a cloth when holding it. I use microfiber cloths when I play my lacquered tuba to prevent the lacquer from eroding due to skin oil. I wrap the neck pipe or put leather grip guards on my unfinished trombones to keep my hands and neck from turning colors.

A warm bath with dawn shouldn’t effect that nice patina.

Soap and water. Nothing else. You could maybe get some silicone furniture wax and rub a tiny bit alll over the outside. That will make it smell lemony fresh and can help prevent further oxidation.

I would not recommend doing that inside the bell however, unless you want mutes to fall out a lot.

Thanks! I was mainly concerned about hygiene so for now have given it a bath with soap, run the snake through it and dried it off with a soft cloth. It's maybe a matter of taste but I actually quite like the appearance so will hold off polishing for now. I'm not too worried about residue but may end up getting a wrap or similar for the gooseneck. The silicone wax is an interesting one, I'll look into that.

Most importantly, after cleaning I've now had a chance to play it, first impressions are very good.