Care and Maintenance of a Trumpet
Weekly care and maintenance

Carefully remove the slides and wrap a polishing gauze around a cleaning rod so that the metallic part of the cleaning rod's tip is not exposed. Now proceed as follows:

1. Remove the dirt from inside the middle and outer slides.
2. Lubricate the slides that have triggers attached to them (the first and third slides) using tuning slide oil. Work each slide back and forth two or three times to work in the oil.
3. Apply a small amount of slide grease to the slides that do not have triggers attached to them (the main slide and the second slide). Work each slide back and forth two or three times to work in the grease.

Apply slide grease to the main tuning slide and the second valve slide, and tuning slide oil to the first and third valve slide.
Oil is applied to allow smooth movement while playing, so that the first and third valve slides can be used to control pitch. If grease, such as that used on the main tuning slide and second valve slide, is applied to these components, it will be more difficult to achieve a smooth movement. On the other hand, because movement of the main tuning slide and second valve slide during play is undesirable, tuning slide oil is not used on these parts.
This is the reason grease and oil are used differently.

Make up a solution of brass soap, consisting of 10-15 parts warm water (30°C-40°C) to one part brass soap. Soak a mouthpiece brush in the brass soap solution and clean the mouthpiece by pushing the brush through the throat. Now use clean water to wash off the mouthpiece.

Twist a polishing gauze into a thin strand and use it to carefully clean the intricate parts of the instrument.