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Giving my tuba a bath
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2023 1:19 pm
by Tubachin
Greetings Tubaworld, I have given my MW2182W a bath several times with warm water and dish soap. I am trying to remove all of the green slime and deposits. The green slime comes out easily with a brush and some water pressure, but I'm not making any progress with the deposits. Does anyone have a recommendation on a more "aggressive" solution other than water/soap? I appreciate your guidance...
Re: Giving my tuba a bath
Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2023 4:16 pm
by arpthark
That deposit is limescale, which is basically calcium carbonate. Soap doesn't do much to get that off -- you need to use something mildly acidic. I have had success on some old, really limed-up tubas by plugging the slides with rubber stoppers and filling the valve section with cleaning vinegar, which is a bit stronger than regular vinegar, and letting it sit for a few minutes.
Honestly, your best bet is just to take it to a shop and have it chem cleaned, which is basically the process described above but in a more controlled environment by folks who actually know what they're doing!