Clean and Maintain Your Flute

The flute is an instrument with a wonderful sound. However, if it is not properly cleaned, it won't sound that way for long! Always clean your flute properly, so that the sound and shine will last.

Steps

  1. Learn to Assemble a Flute properly.
    • Make sure that the mating surfaces are free of debris and grit.
    • Line up the joints so that they are straight and gently push them together with a twisting motion. Never force.
    • If you start having trouble lining them up, gently take off the end that has the problem and clean the joint with a soft cloth, which you should be doing frequently anyway. Never use lipgloss or vaseline to ease the joints of the flute together. It will give you a quick fix, but later down the road will give you much more trouble than it's worth as dust/dirt and grime will build up much quicker when they have something to adhere to.
    • If you will march with this flute, make sure that the joints are snug enough to prevent parts from flying off when the instrument is snapped up or down, and definitely think twice about joint lubrication. Marching is hard on instruments, so it makes sense to march with a spare instrument if you have one, especially if there is any chance of rain.
  2. Warm up the flute by playing or blowing warm air through it before tuning. The pitch will change somewhat with the temperature. If the flute cools off between playing passages, you can warm it up by closing the keys and softly blowing warm air straight into, not across, the hole. Feel free to play scales or some music to make it interesting.
  3. After each and every playing session, take your flute apart, so that the three pieces are separated.
  4. Thread a soft cloth through the needle-like slot in the end of your tuning rod and flip the cloth over the cleaning rod, then wrap it around the rod so that there is none of the rod showing at the top, otherwise, you will scratch the inside of your precious flute. Remove the moisture by gently sliding the cleaning rod through each of the sections in the same direction "without" using a twisting motion. By twisting the rod and cloth, and if pushing/pulling it back and forth inside your flute, the cloth and rod run the risk of snagging a pad or even getting stuck inside! If you use a cleaning swab or stick, do not store it in the body of the flute; the moisture in it will be absorbed in the pads. Also, never store the cleaning cloths inside the case of the flute, as the pads could, again, absorb the moisture.
  5. Carefully polish the flute with a different cloth - clean all the keys and the bodywork until it's free of fingerprints and other possible gunk. Make sure to always handle the flute by the barrel when cleaning, as to not bend the keys and/or rods. Pay extra attention to the areas between the parts of the flute, as this is where the most gunk usually builds up, but be careful not to damage the keywork when trying to reach these areas. Don't worry if there's still some dust etc., when your flute is professionally cleaned, they will sort this.
  6. Carefully clean the lip plate with the cloth, as this is the most fragile part of the flute.
  7. You can use a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove dust and buildup between the keys in those hard to reach spots, but it's not recommended to do this too often. They also sell small tools for doing this.
  8. Clean your pads if they are sticky from water build up. If sticky, they will make a little noise when they lift up. Slide pad paper or a piece of clean cigarette paper under a key, then close the key firmly. Never used the gummed edge of the cigarette paper. Do not use dollar bills--they are filthy! Do not pull the paper out while the key is pressed down, as this will create friction in the pad and bladder of the key. Instead, open the key and then slide the paper out. It will be just as effective and pulling the paper from under the keys, but not nearly as harmful to the pads. The stickiness is due to moisture, so make an effort to keep the flute dry. Use this technique gently and sparingly, since it could damage the thin membrane that makes the seal when you close a key.
  9. Store and carry your flute in its case, avoiding moisture and temperature extremes. The case is the safest place, but if you play frequently enough and have a safe corner, you might also consider getting a stand for any occasional breaks from practice.
  10. Keep your springs in their places and do not mess around with the mechanisms and screws unless you know what you are doing. If a key fails to lift when released, look to see if a spring (one of the tiny wires along the rod) has popped out of place. You may be able to push it back into place with the eraser end of a pencil or some similar, soft instrument. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, take it to a music shop or to an instrument repair shop.
  11. Check your tuning cork periodically. If your flute is consistently out of tune, check the cork at the top of the head joint. Take the head joint off of the flute, insert your cleaning rod carefully into it upside down. The end of the rod should have a line towards the bottom of it which should appear directly or close enough to the centre of the embouchure hole. If the line is not in the center of the embouchure hole, then it means your cork is slightly out of alignment. Corks that are out of position will cause your flute to not properly play in tune. Do not attempt to solve this yourself by pushing in or pulling out on the cork, as you could cause damage.
  12. Pay attention to your pads. Misaligned keys or deteriorating pads, especially, can mean leaks, which can affect your tone. If you find that you need to press down harder on the keys to get the notes to speak best, you probably have a leak and need some pads replaced at the repair shop.
  13. Have your flute serviced periodically by somebody who specializes in flutes, or woodwind, at the least. There are some problems that develop over time and simply require professional care.
  14. Remember: Take care of your flute, and it will take care of you.



Tips

  • If possible, clean your flute after every use.
  • Never wave it around like a toy instrument. Flutes are definitely not toys.
  • Clean the inside of your flute not only because you should, but because if you don't it will smell bad when you blow in to it. It is also wise to brush your teeth to prevent any bad breath from affecting the smell.
  • Serious flute players should own two cleaning cloths. Clean handkerchiefs work great, too.
  • If you're using your flute for marching band, then you do not need a professional flute; a gently used one will work just fine.
  • If you have a wooden flute or piccolo, consult an experienced player or repair person for additional advice regarding appropriate wood care and cork grease.
  • If you are starting on the flute get a used or cheap one.
  • A lightly colored pipe cleaner is useful when it comes to cleaning between the rods. Fold it in half and beware of sharp ends when using it, though.
  • Tie a cleaning cloth to the handle of your case, if there is no room inside. Beware- it might get dirty.

Warnings

  • Never clean the body of a flute with any product that contains bleach. You will destroy the finish on the flute. The entire finish will lose its luster and shine.
  • Woodwind instruments can't get wet! If you let your flute get wet, the pads will swell up, and the flute won't play.
  • Also while playing a flute, do not roll it in your lap- leave it resting with all keys face up. Also consider getting a flute stand.
  • Be very careful when you are cleaning your flute. Repair can be very expensive. Do not try to bend or press anything that doesn't seem to be moving easily, because, chances are, it is either bent, or it isn't supposed to move at all.
  • When taking apart your flute do not grab a part and twist it off forcefully. You could bend keys. Beginner and even high school players often make the mistake of holding the flute by the keys. If you need to adjust the head joint, for example, do not grab/hold your flute by the Ab key or elsewhere in that area. This can cause the flute's keys to break and bend, which can cost a lot to get fixed. Instead, hold the flute where the 'logo' is at the top of the body joint. There are no moving parts here, so you won't break anything by adjusting the head joint. For removing the foot joint from the body joint, hold the end of the foot joint where there aren't any keys.
  • Avoid squeezing the keys when you play. It will wear the pads faster and slow your playing. If you find that squeezing the keys improves the tone, get the flute serviced. You probably have a leak.
  • Be careful not to bend any keys when you are dismantling the flute. Be especially careful when removing the foot joint, because it has a very complicated and delicate key connection that is easy to bend and is expensive to replace.
  • Avoid storing a soggy cleaning cloth inside the case with the flute. Store it in the outer case, or if that's not possible, tie it to the handle or spread it to dry before putting it away.
  • Don't use silver polish on the head joint! If a polishing cloth doesn't do the job, try a bit of rubbing alcohol, applied to a soft cloth. Again, don't get it on the pads. If this doesn't work, then leave the polishing to your repairman when you take it in!
  • Never use a dollar bill to clean pads. They have oils on them and that will ruin the pads, and then you have to get it repaired.
  • Avoid overly greasing your flute at the joints. If you do they could start falling off while you play. It is best to wipe the joints with a polishing cloth to remove as much gunk as possible. If they still get stuck when put together use a little cork grease or nose grease if you're in a fix.
  • Avoid leaving pad savers in your flute after cleaning. The moisture will cause your pads to rot. If you choose to leave the pad savers in they must dry before you put it back inside your flute! It is still better to not leave the pad savers in the flute, even if dried out, because they collect dust and other stuff.

Things You'll Need

  • Cleaning rod AKA tuning rod
  • Silk or cotton cloth to clean inside of flute with
  • Soft, cotton polishing cloth
  • Rubbing alcohol

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Sources and Citations

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