Bathing a Tuba

Let’s face it, cleaning a tuba is not a simple task. Yet regular maintenance is necessary in order to have a freely blowing instrument and to avoid sluggish valves. With that in mind I recently purchased the Quick Horn Rinse to see if it would make bathing a tuba any easier.

It is simple to use and can connect to water in a variety of ways. I used an adapter to connect it to a standard shower hose. Further use will better evaluate its durability but my first impression is that it is well constructed.

I followed the directions as instructed and it was indeed easier than soaking and scrubbing a tuba in the bathtub. I also believe it is more thorough because the Quick Horn Rinse allows flowing soap and water to reach places that snakes and brushes may not. However, it does not replace regular chemical cleaning or scrubbing out your valve sections with a brush.

The instructions indicate that the valves and slides should be removed, wiped clean, lubricated, and resembled after using the Quick Horn Rinse. Before reassembly, I chose to dissemble the instrument completely, rinse again, and then to allow the tuba to air out overnight. Admittedly, this created additional steps to the process. That notwithstanding, cleaning a tuba is never a “quick” endeavor. But with this product it was a little faster and much easier. Most importantly it was more thorough. I recommend it for low brass musicians and music educators.

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