Trumpet/Maintenance

Oiling the Valves
Equipment:
 * 1) Trumpet with sticky valves
 * 2) Valve Oil
 * 3) Oil Rag

Procedure for each valve to be oiled:
 * 1) Unscrew the top valve cap.
 * 2) Gently remove the valve from the casing. This is a very sensitive part of the instrument, any scraping or denting will impair the valve's function!
 * 3) Using the oil rag, wipe down the valve to remove any accumulated dirt/gunk and the old oil.
 * 4) Apply plenty of valve oil to the clean valve, careful not to drip extra oil on your nice clothes or good carpet.
 * 5) Gently replace the valve into the valve casing.
 * 6) Rotate the valve in the casing to make sure oil is spread evenly across the piston's surface.
 * 7) Align the valve guides with the casing (usually this means with the stamped number facing the mouthpiece). Typically they "click" when they're in the right spot.
 * 8) Thread and tighten the top valve cap.
 * 9) Repeat on the other two valves.

Cleaning the Mouthpiece
Cleaning a trumpet mouthpiece is one of the easiest steps in cleaning the instrument.

Equipment:
 * 1) Mouthpiece to be cleaned.
 * 2) Mouthpiece brush.
 * 3) Sink.
 * 4) Soap.

Procedure:
 * 1) Run the mouthpiece under warm water or let sit in warm soapy water.
 * 2) Scrub the inside of the mouthpiece with the mouthpiece brush.
 * 3) Rinse.

Cleaning the Valves
After a while valves tend to get full of gunk and need a good wash from time to time so as to not hinder your playing. Equipment:
 * Valves to be cleaned.
 * Sink.
 * Soap.
 * Small watertight container.
 * Rag.

Procedure for each valve to be cleaned:
 * 1) Unscrew the top valve cap.
 * 2) Remove the valve from the casing. Take note of which valve goes where. Most valves have a number or a mark to identify their position.
 * 3) Run the valves under warm water. Make sure that the little felt pads under the cap and the cap itself don't get wet as this can damage the valves.
 * 4) Scrub the valve holes with a brush.
 * 5) Leave inside a watertight container filled with warm soapy water for about 20 minutes. Make sure neither the felt pads or the cap get wet.
 * 6) Dry off with a rag.