We hope everyone continues to remain safe and healthy during this challenging time. 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. COVID-19 like, most viruses has 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

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.

Cleaning Tips

Here are some tips for cleaning and sanitization efforts for your instruments.

1. Use soap and water first. The reason they say to wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap is because soap and water can destroy the viral envelope leaving the virus vulnerable and unstable. So, anything that can be washed with soap and water starts there. Apply with a soft cloth. *Do not submerge woodwind instruments. This will destroy pads and corks on these instruments, rendering them unusable and needing them overhauled by a repair technician.*
2. Next – 70% (or greater) isopropyl alcohol is a good sterilizing agent. For instruments that are metal use alcohol swabs and/or mix a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol with water in a spray bottle, apply it directly to a cloth to snake through the inside of your brass instrument and wipe down all exterior metal surfaces. Also, use it to spray both the inside and outside of your case. Allow time to evaporate before closing the case.
3. Avoid contact between alcohol cleaner and woodwind pads. Over time the pads will deteriorate prematurely and affect the performance of your instrument. Also, avoid using “hot” water when cleaning as it may make lacquer flake off or discolor plastic materials.
4. For Orchestral string instruments, wood clarinets, oboes, and bassoons use West Music Steri-spray. Apply to a soft cloth and wipe down all wood surfaces, let it evaporate then wipe down again with a clean polishing cloth. Avoid contact between alcohol and any plastic or wood surface as that may deteriorate your instrument over time. *Isopropyl alcohol that’s above 70% should only be used on the strings and unfinished finger and fretboards.*
5. Swab your wind instrument after every use to remove condensation and moisture that accumulates daily. Here are the tools you will need for proper cleaning… (we do not recommend using pad savers as it can trap water particles inside the instrument)

Mouthpiece Cleaning & Wood Surfaces

We offer these products for cleaning mouthpieces and wood surfaces.

West Music Trumpet Care Kit

West Music Flute Care Kit

Disinfectants and Sterilizing Products

There are a variety of products available that can assist with your instrument cleaning and disinfecting needs.  The collection below is a sample of some of the products we use to assist us with maintaining clean and safe playing and practice.

Professional Cleaning

Now is the time to trust our professionally trained repair technicians to clean your instrument properly and make necessary adjustments to allow you to play your best! We will ensure that your instrument is sanitized and in proper playing condition so that you can get back to making music. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions…

• All instruments are held aside to acclimate in our shop for approximately 48-72 approximate hours before any estimates or work will begin.
• Repair technicians wear latex gloves and masks where applicable.
• Each of our repair technicians clean & sanitize their work stations between working on each instrument.
• They also clean and sanitize tools and workspaces throughout the day as well.
• Instrument cases are cleaned and sanitized as well, both inside and out, before the instrument is returned to its case.