Lubricants
Trombone Slide
A quick word on slide lubricants: There are three basic types of products to grease your main slide; slide oil (very similar to petroleum based valve oil), traditional slide cream, and a newer-style liquid cream.
I do not recommend using “slide oil.” Though it is often recommended to beginners, it tends to dry up quickly and is not really thick enough for smooth slide action. I don’t know any trombone players who use this.
I recommend using either traditional slide cream or liquid cream. These products require an additional spray bottle filled with water to keep the lubricant moist. Any type of bottle will do, even the 99¢ variety in the travel section at Target!
I prefer liquid cream over regular cream because it eliminates greasy fingers; you go straight from bottle to slide. I use Ultra-Pure slide lube, but I also really like the Yamaha Slide Lubricant (which works best for most trombones). They are both cheaper than Slide-O-Mix and work just as well (I think better!). Below is a full listing of options:
Liquid Cream:
Ultra-Pure Slide Lube
Yamaha Slide Lubricant
Slide-O-Mix Rapid Comfort (all in one bottle)
Piston Valves
I recommend using synthetic valve oil on euphonium and tuba piston valves. My preferred brand is Ultra Pure. Though it is a bit more expensive than your average oil, it is a very high quality lubricant that lacks the harsh scent of petroleum-based products. This oil also works well for lubricating the interior portion of rotary valves on trombone and tuba.
Ultra-Pure Valve Oil
Rotary Valves
For tubas with rotary valves and trombones with f-attachments (no matter what type of valve you have), I recommend using two different types of lubricants. For exterior parts, such as ball bearings or spindles, I recommend using Ultra-Pure Linkage Oil. This is slightly thicker and will last longer on these exposed parts. For oiling the interior portion of the valve, I recommend using the Ultra Pure Valve Oil listed above.
Tuning Slides
Tuning slide maintenance is often neglected on all brass instruments, but especially on tubas and euphoniums. You can make your own mixture of lanolin and petroleum jelly, but it may be just as easy to buy a small container of a premixed variety at a music store. Please keep ALL slides lubricated, and please move them periodically to prevent “stuck slides.”
Ultra-Pure Tuning Slide Grease
Cleaning
One of the easiest things you can do to keep your instrument clean is to clean the portion that gets exposed to the most germs…your mouthpiece. You can purchase mouthpiece sanitizer at any music store, or you can simply purchase a bottle of mint scented rubbing alcohol at your favorite drug store and dilute it with some water. Just purchase a travel sized spray bottle and fill it with your mixture. Additionally, you will need a mouthpiece brush to clean the backbore; this is where much of the filth congregates. I try to clean my mouthpiece every day.
For cleaning the bulk of your instrument, I recommend using Brass Saver brand cleaning “snakes”. They are a bit bushier than your average “snake” and tend to remove grime more easily. For tuba and euphonium, the kit also includes a short cleaning rod to clean the interior of your valve casings (piston valves only). You won’t believe how much this will improve the valve action.
Trombone Brass Saver
Euphonium Brass Saver
Tuba Brass Saver
For trombone slides, I recommend using a cleaning rod with cheese-cloth. For a little more money, Slide-O-Mix makes a nice cleaning rod kit that contains a reusable cleaning sleeve that is washable and will not get lodged in your slide (which can happen if you are not careful when using the cheese cloth). A cleaning rod is the only way to get your slide really clean. Check out this video of a technician demonstrating this technique.
With any of these cleaning options, you can also use a solution of luke-warm water and soap or rubbing alcohol to sanitize the inside of your horn, but please stay away from hydrogen peroxide which will “eat” the brass away over time. If you use the alcohol, please remember to rinse with water and/or soapy water to avoid breathing in fumes.
Additionally, it is a good idea to get your horn in for a chemical or ultra-sonic cleaning once a year. Check the sidebar for repair technician recommendations.