Care and Maintenance of an Oboe
How to use maintenance paraphernalia

Key oil is essential for woodwind instruments. Despite this, a surprisingly small number of musicians properly apply key oil. Because the keys are the most important part of a woodwind instrument, be sure to make it a habit to properly oil them.
Key oil acts to protect the metallic surfaces of the keys. When key oil is applied, the oil spreads out in a thin layer between metal and metal, creating a membrane of oil. This oil membrane provides lubrication so that the different pieces of metal can move smoothly without touching one another directly. Less friction will result in less scratching of the metal, reducing abrasion. Furthermore, the membrane protects the metal from moisture and air, preventing corrosion and rusting.

Another problem that occurs from neglecting to oil the instrument is that metal pieces directly rub against one another when the keys are moving, producing unwanted noise. If the problem gets even worse, then the keys will get loose and will no longer cover the holes properly. Once it gets this bad, considerable repairs will be required, so be careful. Be sure to apply key oil around once per month-around once every two weeks if your hands tend to sweat.
Yamaha produces three types of key oil. Light oil is for instruments such as the piccolo, the flute, and the oboe. Medium oil is for clarinets. Heavy oil is for instruments such as the saxophone, the bass clarinet, and the bassoon. The viscosity differs among the different types of oil, so be sure to use the correct type.

Use a dedicated tone-hole cleaner to maintain your oboe's tone holes. The core of a tone-hole cleaner is made from wire, which is wrapped in a surface that is soft like chenille fabric. The tool is bent into a shape that makes it easier to use, which is done by inserting the cleaner into the instrument through the tone holes. The edges of tone holes inside the pipes of woodwind instruments tend to accumulate fine dust when swabs are passed through, so clean those parts especially thoroughly.
This is not the only use for a tone-hole cleaner. The areas around the keys on the exterior of a woodwind have a lot of complicated, uneven patches, so the cleaner can be put to considerable use removing the dust that has accumulated in these pockets. Dust tends to stick to the areas around the keys because of the use of key oil. If this dust is not cleaned away, it will affect the movement of the keys, changing the feel of how the instrument plays. In the worst-case scenario, foreign matter might get caught, or the lids of the keys might stop closing, which would require maintenance. Try to remove as much dust as possible at all times.