Playing a musical instrument means you have to use air from your lungs. This air contains moisture that collects on the interior surfaces of your instrument. If this moisture contacts the pads on the keys for long periods of time it can cause damage resulting in expensive pad repair. Whenever you are finished playing it is important to use a cleaning swab to remove this moisture and anything else that may have found its way into your instrument. Get into the habit of using this procedure every time you put your instrument away and you will get much more use out of the pads.

  1. Locate your swab. They will vary in length depending on the instrument it is being used for. Inspect the knot where the string meets the cloth. If this is torn, there will be a good chance of it coming loose and leaving the cloth in your instrument. You should discard the swab if this is the case.
  2. Remove your mouthpiece and disassemble your instrument. It may be tempting to use the swab before you take your instrument apart, but there will be a much greater chance of getting it stuck.
  1. Drop the weight on the end of the swab into the joint/section you want to clean (a). In the case of saxophones, you will need to turn the instrument to get the weight to fall out of the other end (b).
3a. 3b.
  1. Pull the weight firmly, but slowly through the joint/section. The cloth at the end of the weight will pull through, cleaning the interior surfaces.
  2. Wrap the string and weight around the cloth and store it back in your case.

It got stuck !!!

Do not yank at it. You will cause extensive damage to your instrument. If you can reach the cloth from the other end of the joint/section, pull it back out the way it went in. If it won't free with a little more effort, bring it to your band instructor.