How can I clean my cymbals so that they look as brilliant as the day I got them?

So, you bought the perfect cymbals. But over time, fingerprints and grime have built up, along with stick marks and tarnish. Removing these from any natural or brilliant finish cymbal requires the right cleaner. Most cymbal manufacturers make a professional cymbal cleaner to use on their cymbals. One of the good ones that we use here in the store is Sabian Cymbal Cleaner. It's specially formulated for use on all Sabian cymbals and works great for other brands as well. Beware of metal cleaners and no-name cymbal cleaners containing harsh chemicals that can discolour a cymbal. And never use a scouring pad, steel wool, or wire brush -- these will scratch the surface of your cymbal!

Sabian Cymbal Cleaner and two dry soft cotton cloths -- one to clean, one for a finishing wipe -- will restore the brilliant lustre of your cymbals. Cleaning is easy. Lay the cymbal flat on some newspaper. Spray an area to be cleaned. Let sit for a couple of minutes. Rub the cleaning cloth in the direction of the tonal grooves until the metal appears through the film. Using the second cloth, give a finishing wipe again by rubbing gently in the direction of the grooves. Clean only a small section of the cymbal at a time.

Just a bit of care
From the day you buy your cymbals, be sure to keep them clean. They will not only look better, but they will keep their sound and last longer. Here are a few tips:

• Play with clean hands. Dirty, sweaty hands are not good for your cymbals.
• Wipe fingerprints and perspiration off immediately after every performance with a dry cloth (especially important with brilliant-finish cymbals).
• Avoid fingerprints by handling cymbals by their edges, using the palms of your hands. Or, you can wear gloves, like the cheap cotton gardening gloves.
• Most often, you can wash your cymbals with warm, soapy water using a sponge. If you have to use a cleaner, follow our directions above.
• Some nylon-tip sticks and coloured sticks leave marks that are more difficult to remove than natural wood sticks.
• Logos are stamped on with environmentally friendly, mineral-based inks, and they will eventually wear off if you wipe them with any cleaner. So if logos are important to you, preserve them by not spraying or wiping them. Instead, just clean around them.