The benefits of playing the harmonica include the easy maintenance- it’s actually bad for your harmonica if you clean it too often. Most harmonicas will wear out before they need a thorough cleaning. Unless someone else plays it, don’t be over zealous with any cleaning method unless you want to end up with a new harmonica.

If you feel the need to disinfect, you can start with rubbing alcohol. Be aware that you have to rinse the instrument very well after cleansing it to avoid getting yourself sick the next time you play it. Pour the alcohol over the mouthpiece; don’t soak it. After you feel that you’ve rinsed all the harmful chemicals off of the mouthpiece, tap the harmonica against a soft surface to get any excess water unless you want to blow bubbles next time you practice.

Reaching the area under the reed plates will be difficult unless you want to take the whole thing apart, but it can be done. The only problem with that method is the reassembly process. You can’t put it back together too tightly (or too loosely) unless you want a distorted sound. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for putting it back together if you’re feeling confident. Buying a new harmonica is your safest bet. Hydrogen peroxide is the safer version of rubbing alcohol, and the same technique applies.

Chromatic harmonicas need more attention paid to them. Chromatics have a small button on the side of them and white plastic valves on top of the reeds. The valves are your wind savers, and you need to avoid displacing them when you clean. Chromatics also can NOT have water run through them or be soaked. That’s yet another way to guarantee a need for a new harmonica.

Cleaning the comb of your harmonica can be done with a small toothbrush and some warm soapy water, unless the comb is wooden. If that’s the case, stick with only the toothbrush and scrub gently. If the comb is metal, make sure you dry it completely. Rust will distort your sound, and its taste will make you want to change instruments.

Using polish to touch up the outside is a poor idea- there’s now way to make sure that all the chemicals are washed off after, and tarnishing won’t have any negative effect on the sound.

If you want to make it squeaky clean i would first gently remove the mouthpiece. Then place the mouthpiece on a flat surface area. Apply a slight bit of pressure on the main tuning slide. If the slide is stuck, put three drops of penetrating oil on the two points where the small slide enters the larger. If it doesn’t come off try removal again after 15 to 30 minutes. Remove the tuning slides for the first, second and third valves in the manner described above. Apply penetrating oil to the screw-off hubs at the base and top of the three piston valves.Carefully unscrew the three finger-pearls at the top of each piston. Then place the three finger-pearls and six hubs on the work area towel. Slowly withdraw the three pistons out of their casements. Place them on the towel. Determine the location of the three valve springs. Handle the pistons so the top felt or cork cushions remain intact. This is a great way to clean/ polish your trumpet.

Polish cloths today that are manufactured contain the chemicals needed to polish a trumpet, so all you have to do is buff the surface with the polish cloth. Usually, the silver plated clothes are blue and the gold lacquered cloths are yellow. Using this buff cloth will really make the color of your trumpet pop!

Once you have finished cleaning and buffing your trumpet, I’m sure you will be. Those are the main steps on how to clean a trumpet. Also the buffing cloth comes in pretty cheap, so don’t go spending crazy money on a piece of cloth even thought it is important. It will make your trumpet nice and clean. Also there will be no more spit in the tube. I believe this is a very helpful way to clean a trumpet.