Keeping Your Horn Clean......

Proper saxophone hygene is important! Your horn will play better, smell better, and most definately look better if you will take a few quick and easy steps each week to remove the stuff that doesn't belong inside or on the outside of your horn.

(1) GET SOME GOOD SWABS
I use several different ones: a "shove it" type brush swab for the body, and a couple of weighted string type swabs. The brush type swab is good for wiping out the body interior. Be hereby on notice that they tend to shed fibers and these fibers can accumulate on your toneholes and cause small leaks. Be further notified that you should wash your swab from time to time to remove the stuff that formerly resided inside your horn. I use Woolite to wash mine. I follow the use of this swab up with a weighted string cloth on a brush type swab. Mine has a chamois cloth, but I think the silk ones work just as well. Warning! Don't leave the "shove it" type swab inside your horn when it's in the case. You wouldn't leave a damp sponge inside your horn, now would you? For the neck, the procedure is the same: I use the "neck saver" brush type swab first, then followed by an ordinary clarinet type string swab.

(2) YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOME BRUSHES
Get a sax neck cleaner brush and a sax body brush from Ferree Tool. There's nothing better on the market. Use them from time to time, first spraying them with a little KaBoom bathroom cleaner. Use the string swabs after applying the Kaboom. I'm pretty sure that KaBoom couldn't possibly be good for your health. Get some very soft artists brushes small enough to fit between the keys and use them to remove the accumulated dust.

(3) MAKE IT SHINE
If you've got a silver or gold plated horn WITHOUT A CLEARCOAT OVER THE PLATING, use nothing else but Flitz brand polish. This is a great product, and it's less abraisive than toothpaste so it won't remove metal from your horn. Use a little Flitz on the neck tenon and the neck reciever interior as well. Do not under any circumstances apply any form of lubricant to the tenon or reciever after they have been cleaned! This would only attract dust and grit. If your horn has a lacquer finish or a clearcoat over plating, use a good quality automotive polish to clean and protect. It is very important that you absolutely not get any type of cleaner or polish on the pads!

(4) DON'T FORGET THE CASE
I use powdered carpet deoderizer that I can suck out with the old vaccum cleaner on the interior. From time to time I also shoot the interior with Fabreeze. I use Armorall on the exteriors.