A Little Care Goes a Long Way
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
A little care goes a long way — simple daily habits that protect your instrument and keep it sounding its best for years to come.
Whether you have a student silver flute or a professional instrument from Muramatsu, Sankyo, Yamaha, Levit, Powell, Brannen, Burkart, Haynes, Nagahara, Altus, or Miyazawa, regular care and attention will help your flute last much longer and stay in its best playing condition. Just a few simple habits after each practice can keep your instrument in excellent condition for many years.
Clean Your Flute After Every Practice
This is the most important habit of all. After every practice or performance, take three to five minutes to clean your flute. This removes moisture, fingerprints and residue from your hands before they build up on the instrument.
Thread a soft cloth through your cleaning rod and gently swab the inside of each section — headjoint, body, and footjoint. Push gently through the tube without forcing or twisting.
Use a soft, absorbent cloth designed for flute cleaning. Avoid rough materials that may scratch the inside of the tube.
After swabbing, use a clean microfibre cloth to gently wipe the outside of the flute, removing fingerprints and perspiration after playing.
Be especially gentle around the keys and mechanism. Avoid pulling, pressing, or putting unnecessary pressure on the keys while wiping.
Good to Know
After each practice or performance, if there is still moisture on the pads after swabbing the flute, place a piece of flute cleaning paper gently between the pad and the tone hole. Lightly press the key to absorb the moisture, then release the key before removing the paper.
Do not press the key too hard or pull the cleaning paper out while the key is pressed down, as this may damage the pad or key mechanism.
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