Caring For Your Clarinet
Buying an instrument for the first time can bring both excitement and nerves—owning your first instrument is a big responsibility! Any experienced teacher will be able to guide you in looking after your clarinet but if you'd like somewhere to start, here are a few key considerations:
Use a clarinet swab to clean the inside of the clarinet after every use. Pull through your swab at least three times, taking four seconds each time to ensure the moisture is absorbed. Your swab should be washed fortnightly (in a delicates bag in the washing machine) and replaced every 6 months-1 year as their absorbency lessens with time.
Apply cork grease to the tenon corks when it begins to feel dry to protect the cork from moisture and help with assembly.
Keep a small packet of pocket tissues in your case. After playing, dry the inner tenons with tissue. Don't use your swab for this, as it will transfer cork grease onto the swab, which we do not want in the clarinet bore!
When the cork on the tenons start to decay and look darker and more porous, this is a sign that they may not be sealing well and may require replacing soon. As an emergency fix, rub the dry cork with paraffin wax to protect the cork from moisture, and wrap the cork with teflon tape.
Use a clean mascara brush or spoolie to gently clean the tone holes every week as they can become occluded over time.
Vacuum your case every month. Small pieces of debris can affect the clarinet mechanism and occlude sound.
Clean the silverwork and keys with a microfibre cloth after every use to help prevent tarnish. Do not use a silver polishing agent.
Your mouthpiece will eventually build up gunk and a white, crusty calcium deposit. To clean your rubber or plastic mouthpiece, remove the mouthpiece patch, and wash with cold water and gentle hand soap. Vinegar on a q-tip will dissolve any stubborn calcium build-up. When your mouthpiece has completely dried, apply a new mouthpiece patch.
Wooden Clarinets
In addition to the above tips, there are a few additional things to consider when caring for a wooden clarinet. As wood is a natural material, it is susceptible to changes in the environment. These changes can dry out your instrument or put it at risk of cracking. To keep your clarinet in the best condition, observe the following:
When you first receive your wood clarinet, observe the ‘breaking-in’ period to minimise the risk of cracking. Ensure that you are swabbing your clarinet thoroughly after use, so no water is left in the instrument, especially during the first month. Adhere to the following daily playing limits: for the first week, only play your new clarinet for a maximum of 10 minutes per day; 20 minutes for the second week; 30 minutes for the third week; and 40 minutes for the fourth week.
Avoid playing your clarinet in very cold or hot environments, and when you must, open the case an hour before playing to allow the clarinet to come to room temperature.
Always keep humidity packs in your clarinet case, such as the Boveda 49% humidity packs. These need to be replaced every three months. Keep one humidity pack for one clarinet, and two packs for a double case or bass clarinet.
Every 1-9 months, your clarinet will need it's bore (the inside) oiled. When an instrument is well-oiled, the wood looks shiny and smooth versus grainy when it is dry. To oil your clarinet, use one of your freshly cleaned, old swabs, and apply 6-10 drops of sweet almond oil. Swab your clarinet 6-10 times and leave overnight to dry. Do not oil the bore directly after playing as this will lock moisture into the wood. Oiling is also performed by a technician when your clarinet is serviced.
Editor’s note: When Morrie Backun visited Australia during his 2026 tour, our team members had the immense pleasure of travelling with him to each state. During this time, he impressed upon us and clarinettists across the country the absolute importance of maintaining your instruments and used every level of player to demonstrate each point. Most of this guide is directly from Morrie himself (though I have omitted the humorous stories he would tell to highlight each instruction!) and applies to every wooden clarinet.