How To Clean Cymbals

There are several ways to clean your cymbals. You can use household items like ketchup and vinegar, or you can polish them with cymbal cleaners.

Cleaning and polishing are often confused. Cleaning gets rid of the dirt and grime that has accumulated on your cymbals over time, but it doesn’t do much to restore shine.

Polishing, on the other hand, goes deeper and usually requires a special cymbal cleaner.

Cleaning and polishing your cymbals is a fairly simple process. It can be done with a few basic tools, some water, and elbow grease.

We’ll explain how you can upkeep your cymbals in both ways: basic cleaning and polishing.

Clean cymbals will give you a bright sound and look shiny, while dirty cymbals will have darker sounds and may even cause cracks in the metal. Let’s see how to protect cymbals and keep them clean so they can stay shiny and beautiful as long as possible.

Basic cleaning

If you play the drums, then you know how important it is to keep your cymbals clean. Cymbals are not just for decoration—they’re part of the instrument. And as with any instrument, if you want it to sound good, you have to take care of it.

Here are some tips for keeping your cymbals in tip-top shape:

1) At the end of every session, wipe them down with a soft cloth to get rid of any dirt or dust that might have accumulated during your practice session.

2) If there’s more dirt left after wiping them down with a microfiber cloth, wash them with light detergent and water—but remember to dry them right away!

3) Dismantle the cymbal from its stand before cleaning so that you don’t accidentally bend it or exert too much pressure on it while wiping down its edges with a soft cloth (where drumstick chippings tend to stick).

4) When carrying your cymbals around, remember not to hold them by their edges or wipe fingerprints off with dry microfiber cloth afterward (since this can scratch them).

Polishing

To polish your cymbals, you can use a special cymbal cleaner.

Here is how you should do it:

1) Employ a delicate, circular motion with a non-abrasive cloth when applying the polish.

2) Ensure each area is covered, and leave the cymbal for a half minute until the polish soaks in.

3) Rinse the cymbal under running water to remove all polish, and dry it entirely afterward.

Tips

1) Cymbal polish should be used only on brilliant finish cymbals, so for the traditional finish cymbals, use only a microfiber cloth.

2) You can use a toothbrush or something similar to get into the grooves and make a detailed cleaning.

Cleaning the cymbals with household items

Toothpaste is a great way to clean your cymbals and keep them looking bright and shiny. It’s also easy to use—just follow these steps:

1. Spread the toothpaste over the cymbal until no metal is visible.

2. Leave it for a few hours (three is optimal).

3. Clean the cymbal with a cloth and enjoy the new shine!

Clean your cymbals with vinegar and lemon juice.

1. Spread a little bit of lemon juice around the cymbal, and then pour some vinegar.

2. Rub it around the cymbal, avoiding the logos, and leave it for a few hours.

3. Rub-down the surface with a damp cloth.

Cleaning cymbals with ketchup

Ketchup is a great way to clean your cymbals. It’s inexpensive, and it works!

The first step is to spread the ketchup around the cymbal, covering every surface. Leave it for a few hours to soak, but not too long since ketchup is acidic.

After that, clean up the cymbal with a cloth or paper towel.