How to chem clean

[bud]

Interested in what ingredients/parts and instructions. I would like to clean my tuba myself.

[Ben]

Please leave the Chem cleaning to the pro's. Chem cleaning is basically useing a dilute solution of acid (HCl, muriatic i believe) for a limited amount of time. The acid helps disolve the gunk, in addition to lime buildup. Time is critical, as given enough time, it will slowly eat away your horn. Simply put - if you are asking how to do it, then you shouldn't do it. I have used acids in my day job, and disposal of these chemicals can be very dangerous if you do not know what you are doing. For numerous safety and practical reasons, take your horn to your tech and have them do the job.

As pauvog1 suggested: a good bath does wonders, and his method is great. I personnally am too lazy to add the soap, and it still does wonders. I take my horns in to get chem cleaned every couple of years, but I snake and soak them down whenever they start to hang up or get funky smelling.

[Rick F]

I too would not try to clean out my own horn with acid. Too much to go wrong. I'd leave that to the pros.

I recently purchased the QHR (Quick Horn Rinse [with sudser]) where you can take the horn out in your yard and flush it out. It's well made and fits on the end of your garden hose and has a rubber tapered nipple to fit into your mpc receiver. It has a soap dispenser that can be turned on or off and flushes your horn with some pressure. I also like to use Dawn dishwasher soap as it cuts the oil and grease. I know the QHR is no substitute for a professional cleaning, but it's quick and easy for between professional cleaning.

It costs $40 with no shipping. Here's a link with a review:
QHR Sudser

[Dan Schultz]

In between professional chem cleans, you can do this three step procedure in your bathtub:

1 quart warm soapy water down the bell, work through the horn, shake, work through & out the leadpipe.

1 quart (or more) vinegar down the bell, work through, shake, work through & out the leadpipe.

2 quarts warm clean water down the bell, work through, shake, work through & out the leadpipe.

Doc's right on. Vinegar is a mild acid and will dissolve lime and calcium deposits in your leadpipe and valve section. Those deposits are about the same stuff that tends to gunk up a coffee pot. It may take a little extra time with the vinegar is you look inside any of the tuning slides and still see 'white-ish' deposits. Do a GOOD job with the soapy water first to get the grease and oils out. Dawn seems to work best for me.