Sometimes, the silver on your instrument will tarnish. While it may not look the best, don’t worry; this is normal for silver instruments. While it is safe to play a tarnished instrument, it may be difficult to see your investment develop an aged look. Fortunately, there are some easy things that can be done to prevent tarnish from any instrument.
In this article, you will find helpful tips and tricks to prevent or minimize tarnish to your silver flute, trumpet, or any other instrument.
What is Tarnish, and Why Does it Matter?
How to Prevent Tarnish
Routine Polishing
Tarnish Strips
Regularly wiping your silver instrument with a soft, clean cloth will have the biggest impact on preventing tarnish on your band instrument. The key here is regularity and consistency; every time you finish playing your instrument, quickly wipe it clean. Remove any oils and fingerprints left behind, and that’s it! No chemicals needed, no buffing, no silver polish—just a wipe.
It is best to do this every time you handle your instrument before any sign of tarnish starts.
Professional Cleaning
Regular professional service on your instrument will be the best way to ensure tarnish does not get out of control. At Second Wind Music, we provide professional cleaning services with gentle, non-abrasive cleaning agents whenever possible. A basic at-home cleaning can be helpful as well, if you are comfortable doing this yourself, but a professional cleaning will be the most thorough approach.
What NOT to Do to Remove Tarnish
Silver polish—while effective—should be used sparingly when possible.
Silver polish will remove tarnish when it is in the early stages of setting in, and will leave your silver instrument with a brilliant shine. However, silver polish works in an abrasive way, which actually removes layers of silver plating from your instrument. Over time, this can damage the instrument, leaving raw metal to corrode when exposed to the elements. No matter how “safe” a commercially available polish claims to be, it should be used rarely!
Conclusion
While tarnish may not affect your instrument’s playability very much, the appearance is something most of us do not want, especially with a newer instrument. There are several things we, as musicians, can do to prevent tarnish and keep our instrument looking new for many years. In the case that tarnish is beginning to appear, there are options on removing it for a like-new shine.
Professional Cleaning & Tarnish Removal Services
Second Wind Music provides affordable service options, from a basic professional cleaning to full tarnish removal and buffing to make an instrument look brand-new. View our commonly requested services, and contact us today for a FREE estimate on any repair request.
