How to Clean Cymbals With Household Items?

Hey Drummer! Are you searching a way for how to clean cymbals with household items?

There are various household materials available for cleaning cymbals. You can use toothpaste, vinegar, ketchup, lime, and tamarind to clean cymbals easily.

Cymbals get dirty over time as you use them. But it is not everyone’s wish to use dull cymbals while performing on stage.

If you to amaze everyone with your performance, you must have your instruments to be performed at their peak.

Again, if you are cleaning all your other beating instruments such as drums and sticks, you must not want to use muted cymbals.

You may see around and notice that your co-musicians are using instruments in good shape. Deep clean clarinet is shining and giving an amazing performance, and so on.

But, in fact, cymbal cleaning is not a tough job to do.

By using handy cleaning materials available in your kitchen and home at your disposal you can easily get rid of the dullness of your cymbals.

You will be happy to know that cymbal cleaning takes very minimal effort and time as compared to cleaning other musical instruments.

Here we will discuss the use of household cleaning material to make cymbals clean and shiny.

Why do cymbals get dirty?

Cymbals are made of alloy and the major metal in cymbal alloy is copper. There is two copper alloy used to make cymbals.

One alloy is brass and another is bronze. Brass alloy is made of mixing copper with zinc. While Bronze is made by mixing copper and tin.

Copper tends to oxidation very easily when it reacts with oxygen in the environment. Oxidation is the chemical process where oxygen molecules react with metal surfaces.

When you are using cymbals for a long time, as a result of the oxidation process, cymbals get dull.

Fortunately, getting the shine back of your cymbals is not too much complicated. By following the easy steps given below you can defiantly get newness back on your cymbals.

Toothpaste, vinegar, ketchup, lime and tamarind are household cleaners you can use to clean cymbals.

Follow below mentioned 4 easy steps to clean cymbals with natural materials.

Method-1: Cleaning Cymbals by using toothpaste

Toothpaste is also a good cleaner for some metals. Unfortunately, we ignore toothpaste as a general cleaner besides brushing out teeth.

Step-1: Take toothpaste you readily have with you. Spread it on the cymbal evenly.

Step-2: If toothpaste is not spread evenly, cleaning will not be done as per expectations. Hence cover the total surface of the cymbal with toothpaste.

Step-3: Rub the toothpaste e by using a nylon brush. While rubbing, you can use a few drops of clean water. By using water you can achieve good results during the rubbing.

Toothpaste is relatively safe and hence you can use it even on logos of the cymbals.

Step-4: Now leave the paste as it is for 2-3 hours. The period depends on how much your cymbals are dull.

During this time, toothpaste will take off all the grim on the cymbals.

Step-5: Finally take off toothpaste from cymbals using a microfiber cloth or dry cotton. Do not leave any residue. You will notice that cymbals are now having a new shiny look.

In this process, you made need too much toothpaste for cleaning purposes. But there is a little hack, I already suggested above.

Use a sprinkle of water. It will give you the required consistency while spreading and rubbing toothpaste on cymbals. It will help you to minimize the amount of toothpaste required for cleaning cymbals.

Method-2: Cleaning Cymbals by using Ketchup

The use of ketchup for cleaning cymbals is very old and quite a famous hack among drummers to clean cymbals.

Ketchup is available everywhere, whether you are at home or on your musical tour residing at your hotel.

Here are steps to be followed while cleaning cymbals with ketchup.

Step-1: Ketchup is acidic and hence cleans cymbals properly. Take ketchup and spread it evenly on cymbals. Do not leave any part of the cymbals uncovered.

Step-2: like in the case of toothpaste cleaning, here also you have to leave the spread on cymbals for a few hours to work it.

Step-3: Finally clean off ketchup from cymbals using a microfiber cloth or dry cotton. Here are your spotless cymbals to surprise you.

Method-3: Cleaning Cymbals by using Lime or tamarind.

Lime is the best cleaner used in the kitchen for ages. As it has acidic nature, it is one of the most used natural cleaners.

Here are simple steps to use lime as a cleaner for cymbals.

Step-1: Cut lime in two parts and squeeze it directly on the cymbals. While squeezing, you have to catch lemon seeds.

To separate lemon seeds, while squeezing lemon with one hand put your other hand between lemon and cymbals.

By doing so, you can catch lemon seeds easily while juice will fall on cymbals after percolating through your fingers.

Step-2: Spread the lemon juice evenly on cymbals and rub it and leave it for a few minutes.

Step-3: At last, wipe out the lemon juice with the help of a dry cloth. You are done.

Tips for using Tamarind as a cleaning item for cymbals.

Tamarind also works in the same way lemon does the magic to cymbals in cleaning.

Tamarind and lime, both are acidic and hence clean copper alloy at the best.

While using Tamarind, you have to make its liquid or solution by soaking Tamarind in the water for 5-10 minutes.

After tamarind gets soaked in water, squeeze it and use this water for cleaning cymbals. You use squeezed tamarind to rub it on cymbals.

The process of cleaning cymbals with tamarind is the same as the use of lime to clean.

Method-4: Cleaning Cymbals by using Vinegar

Vinegar is the all-time favorite cleaner across all homes. Vinegar’s suitability as a cleaner is very wide.
Vinegar is also a very good material to clean your cymbals. You can use it as per the following steps.

Step 1: Take vinegar, water, and a container in which cymbals can submerge.

Step 2: Take vinegar and water into a container and spread them all over the cymbals carefully. Take care that you are not putting it on cymbal logos. Vinegar is a strong cleaner as compared to other natural cleaners such as lime, tamarind, ketchup, etc. Hence do not apply it to logos. Vinegar may peel off them.

Step 3: Rub vinegar gently on cymbals. Leave it for 2-3 hours.

Step 4: After 2-3 hours, wipe out cymbals with a clean cloth. You will find that cymbals are shining now.

While using vinegar for cleaning cymbals, you can add lime to enhance the cleaning action.

Already we discussed that lime is a very good and very old trusted cleaning material across households.

When you add some drops of lime juice along with vinegar to cymbals, the cleaning capacity of vinegar increases to achieve the most desired cleaning of cymbals.

Cleaning Cymbals by using cleaners available in stores

Besides above mentioned four methods to clean cymbals, some may be inclined towards using readymade store brought cymbal cleaners.

There is a wide variety of cymbal cleaners available out there. Almost all cymbal brands had launched their cleaners.

All cleaners have different cleaning capacities and prices of course.

Ready to use, store-brought cleaners are having special cleaning formulas that are specially meant to clean cymbals made from brass or bronze.

These are quite strong in their cleaning actions and hence due care must be taken while cleaning with them.

It is always advised to use nitrite hand gloves while using store-bought cymbals cleaners as these strong cleaning agents may harm your skin.

Regarding the use of these cleaners, you have to follow the cleaning manual provided especially with these cleaners.

Brilliant Cymbal Polish is one example of store brought cymbal cleaner.

Conclusion: How to Clean Cymbals With Household Items.

I am sure that, you are no more uncertain that How to clean cymbals with household items? After going through the above step-by-step guide regarding cleaning cymbals, you can very well take care of your cymbals to keep them new forever.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How do you clean dirty cymbals?

Dirty cymbals can easily be cleaned by using household cleaners such as Toothpaste, vinegar, ketchup, lime, and tamarind. Just apply the cymbals and wipe them out after 2-3 hours with a clean cloth.

Will vinegar clean cymbals?

Yes. Vinegar is one of the best cleaning materials used for cleaning cymbals. To enhance the cleaning effect you can add some drops of lime to it.

Can you water to clean the cymbals?

Hot water can be used with cleaning soap to clean cymbals.

How to clean Cymbals without Removing Logos?

To clean cymbals without removing logos you can use toothpaste, ketchup, lime, and tamarind. Be cautious while using vinegar and store brought cleaners while cleaning cymbals as they can peel off logos.

Can you use WD40 to clean cymbals?
No. Do not use WD40 to clean cymbals as it is a very harsh cleaner and can damage your cymbals.