How to Make Your Clarinet Shiny

After you've been making sweet music with your clarinet for a while, the instrument can take on a dull and dirty appearance from being in your mouth and gripped with both hands. Keep your clarinet in shiny style with specialty cleaning and polishing materials. The key to making a clarinet shiny isn't in a lot of work or many steps; its bringing out the natural glowing appearance of the intricate materials that make up the clarinet. You'll be getting your fingers into some very small spots, but the resulting shine should look -- and sound -- worth it.

Step 1

Take the pieces of the clarinet apart and remove the reed.

Step 2

Dry the inside of the clarinet by threading a soft cloth back and forth through the top and bottom holes, as well as using a cotton swab to clean out the small air holes.

Step 3

Dip a cotton swab into a container of silver polish and drag the swab over all of the silver parts of the instrument. It may be helpful to hold the piece of the clarinet in your non-dominant hand and the cotton swab with your dominant hand. Add more silver polish or use new swabs as necessary.

Step 4

Remove a new microfiber polishing cloth from its package or inspect a used cloth to make sure it is washed and clean. Gently scrub each piece of the clarinet's barrel, in between the keys and other silver, nickel or metal platings, with the cloth until the instrument shines.