Proper Way To Clean Your Saxophone

[@morganpierce1329]

"Casper the ghost going into my saxophone"... that's officially my new favourite euphamism.

[@ssj9devil]

Thank you, you'd think that after playing for about 2 years, I would at least know how to USE my cleaning swab!! This is helpful for many reasons, and I actually did think the pad saver was a cleaner 😓

[@keithcampbell6806]

Good morning Sir you are the only presenter who so far l have seen demonstrate the proper way to swab and store the instrument. The pad saver is not a swab again you are the only presenter who l have seen demonstrate proper swabbing and storage properly. Thank you Sir.

[@jimervin387]

Thanks but why can't they put a spit valve in the bottoms of saxophones the way they do with trumpets and trombones?

[@katkrasher]

Jim Ervin ikr

[@georgieyoullfloatto5206]

Jim Ervin because only brass instruments can have the spit valve

[@SuperSlipknot911]

Well, baritone saxophones have one :P

[@katkrasher]

IzzY exactly

[@grantkoeller8911]

Because the sax has a big bell, you turn it upside down and drain the moisture.

[@vanessa-vf8cj]

0:22 these fuzzy things *pulls magical thing* HARRY YOUR A WIZARD

[@Iris-vo5gd]

I didn't realize I was going to spit town when I picked up the sax for the first time, so thank you for that!(:

[@grantkoeller8911]

Part of playing any wind instrument is saliva management. Be smart and stay on top of it. Swab out sax after every session. Don't be the lazy person whose horn is nasty!

[@wiledmanrandall]

I got rid of my pad savers. They leave fibers on the tone hole rims of the E flat key and clog the lower octave key. Now I pull a swab through after playing, until it's pretty much dry.

[@BTritone]

I was going to get rid of mine and I spoke with my repair guy who is Rod Baltimore from the famous NYC store that has worked on Trane as well as Sanborn"s horns.He said when you use a pad saver you first should use a mild shampoo on them and then a conditioner so tis way the fibers do not come off. It works great!

[@129jaystreet]

My fear with the pad savers is they don't let the interior of the horn air out. When playing at home, I frequently leave the case open so the horn can air. And it never gets funky.

[@alansturgess1324]

I use a clarinet swap for the neck. Works well and also pulls through the mpc.

[@lvdnxo]

Your English is actually really good! I was looking for a way to clean it and the way I do it is to swab it with rubbing alcohol. I would NOT put it in a washing machine. Though it's brass it cannot be washed like a brass instrument in a bath. The pads will be ruined! :)

[@HylianAlph]

"Casper the ghost goin' up into my saxophone"

[@UNKN0WN_B0T]

I'm glad that I watched this video after two days of having my sax! A great tutorial that cleared up all my questions.

[@arianajudd1299]

I just started playing the saxophone at the beginning of my six grade year and my van and teacher told me the wrong way to clean it so thank you for telling me the right way to clean my saxophone

[@morph_man8588]

Ariana Judd

[@emmaslattery23]

I would do this if I had more than 30 seconds after class.

[@tryingtobebetter1923]

Emma Slattery my mans just bring the instrument home

[@candlertowe8704]

That’s the dam truth

[@armefilms4853]

Same

[@williamjackson460]

@@tryingtobebetter1923 so true

[@williamjackson460]

So true

[@MsMuchMadness]

Thank you so much for this video! It's been about five or six years since I last played my sax and I had quite forgotten how to properly clean it. It's a very useful video you have here, sir.

[@PyroStorm]

Thank you! And I'm pretty sure they also make end plugs for the mouth piece.

[@asdsixty9]

I play saxophone and its my. Life

[@BTritone]

How about the keys with the mold. I use alcohol and q tips after every gig. I perform at a lot of outside venues by the water

[@imaginationman]

I've been playing for 20+ years and never knew that the padguard wasn't a cleaner... great video... thanks!

[@nutmegger1957]

Thanks for the Demo and sound device. Wouldn't it make sense for Saxophone Manufacturers to put Spit Valves on the bottom curl of ALL Saxophones, and not just the Baritone? Also, what addresses the moisture between the pads and the rims of the holes they cover? How are THEY kept clean and dry?

[@tommyt7566]

What additional cleaning steps do you recommend for a "silver-plated" sax? Thanks!

[@petro062]

I got one from paris that is a 1903. Got it in a garage sale. Nickle plated all the pads are bad. Well worn finger buttons. I'd like ti clean it up.

[@FlatlineLinx]

This is an excellent video. Thanks for taking your time with this demonstration - I really appreciate it.

[@rainydog]

Thanks. I watched your demo and I then made a tenor neck swab and ordered a bore swab.

[@leestewart72]

Does the copper in the brass work like an anti-bacterial to keep germ growth in check?

[@killerteddy77]

my tenor didnt come with a neck cleaner how can i make one? or do i need to go out and buy one???

[@gerryyaum]

Thanks so much, all new to me but learned lots.

[@jwilliams986]

Hey Bill, Im worried about catching or spreading Covid with my saxophone because i recently had it repaired. What should i do to prevent the spread of Covid with my horn?

[@crushrreviews]

Thanks for the great video. Any suggestions on sanitizing. I bought a used one for my daughter and just want to sanitize it. Any suggestions?

[@grantkoeller8911]

Take a swab and spray windex and pull though a couple times.

[@stephaniefgeary]

If you are not sure what you are doing, make sure to ask your instrument repair technician. I can't stress that point enough. Your band teacher does not necessarily know everything there is to know. Properly cleaning your saxophone requires a trip to your instrument repair store - it is not possible for you to wash your saxophone properly because you need to take off all the keys - a job that only an instrument repair technician should be doing. So if you are worried about germs, get your technician to clean it properly once a year. The best you can do is to follow the advice above with two modifications: don't use the pad saver, and don't put the swab through the mouthpiece. The mouthpiece should be cleaned with water and soap and air-dried so that nothing damages the angles that are a requirement for a good sound. The pad saver makes people feel like they are doing more to clean the instrument, but I would say that it actually keeps the dirt in the instrument unless you are cleaning the pad saver itself.

[@tryingtobebetter1923]

What about the metal top part

[@basedjudge]

great video! also, do you have a recommended brand for the pad saver or are all of them the same?

[@5t3r3054x]

Good video, but I wonder if the left hand side keys don't get damaged by the position of the saxophone over the table ...

[@joshbutler1642]

So, I haven't been cleaning my saxophone in years and there is dried spit in the bottom, will doing the whole swab thing clean all that dried stuff, if not, what do I do to clean that out Also ,I believe spit has dried on the outside of my saxophone and I have tried to clean it with soap, water, and a hand towel, and it didn't come off, what do i do?

[@mikepearce5025]

Hi, are there any brands of swabs you recommend? I've seen there are silk, or felt ones. Does it make a different? Thanks.

[@voxmanish]

Hey Bill, Good video lesson. Now what about the outside? Distilled water? Microfiber pad? My jupiter horn corrodes if you look at it harshly. And what about the inside of that looped bari neck? Thanks in advance!

[@keithcampbell6806]

Grant Koeller you are wrong this was a very good presentation. It is a pad saver not a shove it as you called it . This was an excellent video. The pad saver is intended to absorb any residue it may still have after swabbing.

[@Joewalshe38]

Thanks. Do people buy these cleaners or would you just make something up with some string, cloth and weights?

[@keithcampbell6806]

Good morning l live in Guyana South America a small country.My two swabs were made with two new hand kerchiefs the larger one for the body. The smaller one for the neck .l attach them with polyurethane string and small mechanical nuts for the weight. They work fine been doing that for years.

[@jobyer20]

Where do you get the two swab that are in the video? I am looking on Amazon.CA ( Canada).

[@maxximizr1507]

hey a piece of cloth is stuck in my soprano while I was cleaning it ..what to do??

[@adrilyon1990]

Sorry in advance for my English (I'm French), but how do you wash you swab when it's dirty, since it's tied to a weight (so a risk to damage the washing machine) ? Thank you for you answers.

[@darrenhill714]

I do exactly the same as you but for the mouthpiece & crook being connected .. and my swabs are damp with mild bleach water. . MP & crook I soak in mild bleach water and run through with swab to dry. With respect and this is my opinion. . Using a mild bleached swab will kill the germs ... using just the swab dry only will just drag through the crap will it not? ???? I would appreciate your feedback

[@grantkoeller8911]

do not put bleach on your mouthpiece! Use a mild dish washing liquid like Dawn, and only cold water.

[@gotesujigo9969]

How does he get the string in so smoothly? I can't make it go threw.

[@ha1759]

this may sound like a beginner but i raelly am one, can you please tell me how the body swab weight is going into the bell and to the neck almost like against gravity? its like youre pushing the string up ?

[@reviIo]

Wow! The pad savers cost a lot! $17 on Amazon. I read some comments saying they are bad... so should I get them?

[@reviIo]

also, I know this is a lot to ask, but is it possible if someone could link me sax cleaning materials?

[@michaelmclaughlin1421]

Get them! They are worth the money, here's the link www.amazon.com/Ravel-375-Alto-Sax-Care/dp/B008871Z4C/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481591894&sr=8-4&keywords=saxophone+cleaning+kit

[@mspuppylover63]

hi martinmusic i would like to know where your store is at so we can bring my saxophone in.

[@jesusoliveira2]

My Alto has a little pipe at the (body) octave hole that protudes internally about 1/3 of the diameter, where the swab will snag. I pull the swab just up to that point, take it out and dry the rest from above. Anyone with the same problem has found a better solution? And again, thanks for the video.

[@charlesmitchellsounds8885]

Every time you play! A good habit to start as I learn how to play.

[@emmalacy27]

Could you link the swabs you used?

[@sandrarogers4899]

thank you I've been putting the cloth in wrong. I will start at the bell from now. Thank you!

[@waterbomb22]

Thanks! Just decided to get my own tenor tonight and just remembered that I had always shared one with another person and always let them clean it out. (I was too scared because I played clarinet before tenor instead of alto)

[@LoroxMakevids]

Would it be of any use to soak the saxophone in water first? Thanks in advance.

[@LoroxMakevids]

***** Oh.

[@fati.castillo99]

+_Panda_Playz_ [Jake] Just to be safe, I still think that putting your sax in water is a bad idea...

[@drinkablesausage3420]

+Swift Lightning Still don't do it, the rest of the instrument will be ruined

[@keemstarsaidhi1101]

+Swift Lightning It'll ruin the sax in general. I have to play in rain, and my sax looks terrible.

[@BTritone]

if you want to ruin your pads, go for it LOL!

[@timato98]

@abwlegacy It's not mold, it's copper oxide. It's the stuff that forms with saliva and brass.

[@beverlyholloway1699]

What's the best way to clean the pads??

[@lornamorrow9565]

Can I ask you- Do you remove the reed from the mouthpiece when cleaning it?

[@mudassir1235]

LORNA MORROW yes, or else the sqab won't come out.

[@tryingtobebetter1923]

Boi👋

[@RicardoRoams]

It's so very important to clean your saxophone properly after every session. And not just because the sax will smell bad if not regularly cleaned. There is a very real condition called "saxophone lung". It's a reaction to the fungus that builds up in wind instruments. If your saxophone is never cleaned properly you will inhale this fungus. I swab out my saxophone body, neck and mouthpiece after every session as noted in this video. I then place the pad saver in the saxophone. I try to leave the pad saver in for about a half hour if possible. And then remove it. I like the instrument to air out. Cleaning reeds and the plastic reed case is also important. Mold can build up there, too.

[@trevorpenix123]

My saxophone is an old one I borrowed from the school and it has a lot of scratches is there a way to get some of them gone?

[@grantkoeller8911]

Leave the scratches, you earned them. Every scratch is a story. Scratches are cool.

[@lubamaya5742]

hello my son have the saxophone some time the sax has an strong sound i not no what happen you explain to my why please thanks

[@SnoopieSnoop]

I received a sax from a friend and it stayed in the closet for almost a year. Now i looked into it and want to learn but first I want to clean it. My problem is I got this black thing inside the sax. I'm not sure what it is but it has three small holes on top of it. Is this a part added or something i should remove? Thanks ahead of time.

[@ssj9devil]

Is it inside the body, or where is it?

[@SnoopieSnoop]

Joaquin Bustos Yes inside, between the section where hands normally go.

[@ssj9devil]

+Rey Delgado Jr is it blocking anything or are the holes on the side of the sax, or is there an object inside with holes?

[@ssj9devil]

+Rey Delgado Jr if the holes are on the side that's normal otherwise go to a place that sells instruments and see what they can do

[@SnoopieSnoop]

Joaquin Bustos no, the object is inside the sax. seems like the top of a broom with flat top and three holes on top formed like a triangle.

[@lm3390]

Thanks for sharing this, very helpful!

[@lorenzo6914]

O my god I've been putting string in the wrong end this whole time. Thank You

[@Alexander_Alberts]

so your saying that the pad saver long fuzzy thing is good for a sax cause this is what i have been wondering

[@they_are_everywhere]

what if my swab has a styraphome thing on the other side of it?

[@FAWhiskers]

i need help what happens if there is paper stuck i need help ? could sombody give me a tip or a guidline please messege me

[@JustEraseTheSystem]

wait so how do we clean the e flat pad because mine looks horrible!

[@izuagiebenedict633]

Great video.... Really inspired

[@Swordmastermats]

And what about a baritone? How can I clean it that good as this alto?

[@grantkoeller8911]

A bari sax can not use a body swab. They make a special curved bari neck pad saver that gets in there and drys it out.

[@elizabethmadden2224]

Where do work?

[@galaxyblinds]

how do you clean the bell end ??? ;-)

[@andylowemusic]

This was really helpful thanks!

[@aestheticfish6353]

Boy I don't want Casper the ghost haunting my saxophone

[@brigittepollet6579]

Very helpful... I'm about to clean mine

[@altologist]

"i always brush my teeth before i play"...hahaha:)

[@BTritone]

I used to store my reeds in a small jar of Listerine :)

[@abwlegacy]

can that also clean mold

[@garys8990]

Very informative. Thanks for posting.

[@PEEPERDB]

Thanks so much. If I would have known this many years ago I would have saved thousands of dollars. I am going to stick to your cleaning ritual. Thank you.

[@kristopherdetar4346]

Great tutorial, thank you Sir !!

[@darrenhill9931]

So how do you eliminate the inevitable germs that get inside.. your not gonna get rid of germs just by pulling a cloth through the sax

[@francescosorrentino802]

The surfaces of copper and its alloys, such as brass and bronze, are antimicrobial. They have an inherent ability to kill a wide range of harmful microbes relatively rapidly - often within two hours or less - and with a high degree of efficiency.

[@darrenhill9931]

Correct !! Laboratory testing shows that, when cleaned regularly, antimicrobial copper surfaces kill greater than 99.9% of the following bacteria within 2 hours of exposure: MRSA, VRE, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and E. coli O157:H7. But Antimicrobial copper surfaces are a supplement to and not a substitute for standard infection control practices and have been shown to reduce microbial contamination, but do not necessarily prevent cross contamination or infections; users must continue to follow all current infection control practices.(which is) ?

[@darrenhill9931]

Antimicrobial Copper surfaces may be subject to re-contamination and the level of active bacteria at any particular time will depend on the frequency and timing of re-contamination and cleanliness of the surface (among other factors). Antimicrobial Copper surfaces must not be waxed, painted, lacquered, varnished, or otherwise coated.

[@darrenhill9931]

The usual cleaning materials used in hospitals are fine for use on copper and even bleach-containing solutions can be used as long as items are washed down afterwards as described in the current NHS cleaning guidelines.

[@darrenhill9931]

since owning my sax two years ago I have always used a dampened bleached pull cloth and then a dry one to soak up,the only thing I am not sure about reusing is the pad saver since these can harbour germs, wouldn't you agree ??

[@PYNKERIE]

A very good video. Thanks!

[@marilovedm]

This helped a lot thank you

[@MrNuggz-nv1yu]

“IT WILL SMELL BAD ( says in super deep voice)

[@rachelterry7577]

How do I remove scratches for my saxophone

[@grantkoeller8911]

Leave the scratches, you earned them. Every scratch is a story.

[@perspirator250]

great video thx. now i know how to use my pad saver

[@stanwilhelm]

Just got an alto sax, thanks ! :)

[@MrNuggz-nv1yu]

I swear this if I still played the sax in 30 years

[@grantkoeller8911]

This is a really great video. I will have all my students view this. Only one comment, remove mouthpiece, when swabbing neck. There is no reason to pull all that neck moisture through the mouthpiece. I have my students purchase a standard white 100% cotton mens handkerchief just for the mouthpiece. When laying saxophone down on the bench, do not lay it on the high D key, instead lay it down on the key post side. Those Pad savers are really called "Shove It's" and they can be great for drying sax, however just don't leave the wet shove it in the sax. Put it in and pull it out, then dry it with another towell, but do not insert it again. The sax should be stored in the case without the shove it. Thanks, Grant Koeller, USAF Bands retired.

[@dominicharper7620]

Thanks for the tip gotta appreciate it thanks again

[@mlhebert4]

I agree the pad saver is not a cleaner it is to get moisture off the pads.

[@Esj114]

My body swab gets stuck sometimes at the top of the neck -_-

[@philly_Will]

You didn't dry your pads!! keys must stick a lot.

[@TerryYang88]

Great video thanks!!!

[@edguidothepizzadeliveryguy5945]

thanks for the vid,but i have live cork grees and stuff for mine

[@liamtrawick]

Put the weight into the bell, make sure it goes all the way to the bottom, shove the swab cloth into the bell, and flip it upside down, letting the weight go around the bend in the bottom and into the main part of the body. The weight will fall out of the place where your neck goes.

[@Tyler-cg6kb]

great thanks for your help

[@THEANnetWork]

its been about a year since i've cleaned my alto :(

[@matthewdickmanmusic7275]

Pad savers keep all the water by the pads making them rot just use a pull through

[@nidaracochran1063]

thank you very helpful

[@stephenadamsmusicalinterpr4203]

The thumbs down crowd are not saxtisfied.

[@MkM47]

I think the spongy disc in the peace to clean the body is too big, it Got stoke in the thinner part..

[@zarapico]

Thanks, I am one of those that thought the fuzzy stick was actually some kind of pipe cleaner.

[@etzeren6406]

Very helpful

[@mmallory22]

people will thumbs down anything..

[@justinhall3850]

Meredith Chuck Mallory I thumbed down your comment

[@justinhall3850]

Meredith Chuck Mallory idk why and also your comment was 4 years ago so why am I replying tf

[@BlockKingdom]

XO my face when I saw the e flat pad