Clarinet Care and Maintenance: Daily, Weekly, Yearly

A well-kept clarinet plays better, stays in tune and costs far less to maintain. Most care takes two minutes a day.

Assembly without bent keys#

• Grease the tenon corks lightly with cork grease when joints feel stiff (not every day).
• Hold joints by the body, not the keys. When joining the upper and lower joints, press the upper ring key down so the bridge key lifts and does not bend.
• Twist gently; never force.
• Put the reed and ligature on last.

After every session#

1. Remove the reed, rinse it and store it flat in a reed case.
2. Pull a swab through each section (mouthpiece separately) — bell end first, so it doesn't get stuck at the register tube. Two or three passes.
3. Wipe fingerprints off the keys with a soft cloth.
4. Don't store the clarinet assembled or wet; let the case breathe for a while if it's damp.
5. Rinse the mouthpiece in lukewarm (never hot) water once a week.

Wooden clarinets and cracks#

Grenadilla wood cracks when it expands and contracts too quickly. To prevent it:

• Warm the instrument in your hands or under your arm before playing in a cold room; never blow warm air into a freezing clarinet.
• Break in a new wooden clarinet: 10–15 minutes a day for the first week, adding about 5–10 minutes a day over a few weeks.
• Avoid radiators, direct sun and cars. Aim for stable humidity (around 40–60 %). A small humidifier in the case helps in dry winters.
• Swab every time — moisture sitting in the bore is the main cause of cracks near the upper tone holes.

Pads, corks and springs#

• If notes stop speaking, a pad may be leaking. Check by closing keys gently and listening — or have a technician use a leak light.
• Sticky pads can be cleaned with a piece of cigarette paper or pad paper pulled from under the closed pad.
• Never oil the keys yourself unless you know how; a drop in the wrong place attracts dirt.

Annual service#

Take your clarinet to a woodwind technician once a year: they will check pad seating, replace worn corks, adjust springs and oil the mechanism. A full repad is typically needed every several years, depending on use.

How often should I clean my clarinet?#

Swab it after every playing session, wipe the keys and rinse the mouthpiece weekly, and have it serviced by a technician once a year.

Can I wash my clarinet in water?#

Only the mouthpiece (lukewarm water, no harsh soap) and plastic student bodies with the keys removed by a technician. Never submerge a wooden clarinet or any joint with pads attached.

What should I do if my wooden clarinet cracks?#

Stop playing it and take it to a technician quickly. Most cracks can be pinned or banded invisibly if they're fixed before they spread.