How Do You Clean Spit Out Of a Saxophone?

To clean the spit out of a saxophone you should swab clean it after every playing session and follow this guide for optimal saxophone cleaning. Spit happens, and inside a saxophone that spit can become a nasty, sticky, mess! Let’s help you learn how to clean spit off of a saxophone exterior, what happens if you don't clean your saxophone, and how to sterilize a used saxophone. Of course this is a pretty nasty topic so we’ll do our best to keep things light hearted but heavy hitting with cleaning facts and tips.

How to clean spit off a saxophone exterior?

Let’s start with how to clean saliva off a saxophone exterior so your horn shines and you get quick wins in the saxophone care routine. Follows these simple steps to clean spit off the exterior of a saxophone:

1. Take a soft clean cloth that is non-abrasive like this and wipe down the saxophone surface. This helps remove dust and drips that are easy to clean.
   
   
2. Apply a small amount of Lemon Pledge onto a soft cloth and gently rub it onto the metal of your saxophone body. This helps break up and remove spit stains and drip marks on the saxophone that step one left behind. Plus it smells delicious!
   
3. If spit marks and drip stains persist it may be that the clear coating of lacquer over the saxophone metal has been etched by the stain. This can happen on older vintage saxophones if a stain or drip sits for many years on the lacquer. See the photo example below of a Selmer Mark VI alto sax that has damage from water drips and abrasion. 
   
   
   In this situation, these spots are simply beauty marks of well-earned patina. Best to leave them. The only thing you could do about this is consult your sax repair tech for more heroic fixes like spot buffing and re-lacquer. 
   

How to clean the inside of a saxophone?

The best way to clean the inside of your saxophone is to use the daily cleaning routine outlined below after every playing session:

1. Swab clean the entire saxophone after every playing session. We prefer silk swabs like this that are designed to pull through and clean the entire inside of the saxophone including the neck.
2. Clean the inside of your mouthpiece with a cleaning brush like this. 
3. Use saxophone Key Leaves saxophone key props to “leave keys open to dry” after you play so the sax body air dries faster, and the low Eb, C#, and G# pads dry away from the sticky tone holes. This helps prevent nasty gunk from growing inside the saxophone and is proven to keep your saxophone cleaner even if you do nothing else to clean it!
4. Use a saxophone pad dryer to remove drips and clean damp tone holes as you play and after each session. This is our favorite saxophone pad dryer because it has a micro-groove on one side to deep clean the raw brass tone holes, and a soft side on top for delicate pad leather. 
5. Occasionally deep clean your saxophone neck see this step-by-step guide
6. Occasionally deep clean your saxophone mouthpiece see this step-by-step guide
7. Occasionally vacuum out your saxophone case. There are some nasty dust bunnies living inside your sax case and you don’t want them making a home inside your saxophone. Give your saxophone case a good shake out and vacuum every now and then. 
8. Take your saxophone into your repair shop for a cleaning oil and adjustment about every 18-36 months depending on how much you play. Your sax repair tech can deep clean the sax and give it the care it needs to play well. Investing in this kind of service every now and then decreases urgency and cost for massive overhauls or repads of your saxophone due to dirty, funky, gunk.

PRO TIPS FOR SAXOPHONE PLAYERS WHO KNOW "CLEAN IS SAXY!"

• Leave your saxophone out on the stand (after following all daily cleaning steps above). This helps the sax air dry more easily. Just be sure you don’t substitute leaving the sax on the stand with daily swab cleaning and other standard care. That stuff is crucial!
• Get a Vent Vine custom fit for the top pads of your saxophone. This helps open all those closed pads from High D up to air dry after playing, and that prevents pad rot and bacterial growth at the darkest, wettest part of the saxophone body tube. A lot of sticky rotten mess grows at the top of the sax body tube and then drips down onto the left hand keys. Best to keep that section of the instrument clean and gunk free.
• Use a vented saxophone end cap to increase air flow and air drying between playing sessions. Some end caps like the standard Yamaha end cap have a hole in them for air flow. Our favorite saxophone cap is the GapCap because it allows air flow and adjusts to perfectly fit any sax model and any saxophone case.
• Clean your bari saxophone neck using a cleaner like this. It really helps keep that large baritone saxophone clean.

What happens if you don't clean your saxophone?

If you don’t clean your saxophone it will become sticky and malfunction. Notes like G# will fail to open and make the correct pitch, while the delicate and expensive pad leather of your saxophone rots away. This is an embarrassing and costly situation. For detailed info about the concern of sticky saxophone keys and preventing pad rot, see this article

Ever heard of Saxophone Lung? If you really neglect the care and cleaning of your saxophone, it will grow fungus, bacteria, yeast, and other harmful bio matter inside the saxophone, inside the case holding the saxophone, and all over the leather pads, corks and felts of the saxophone. This is a serious health and hygiene concern! Your sax can literally begin stink. This kind of saxophone cleaning neglect can lead to very bad health concern including persistent coughing and wheezing, diseases related to fungus sensitivity, mouth and lip infections, and re-infections from the gunk that is thriving inside the saxophone.

In extreme cases, Exophiala, a fungus usually found in decaying wood and soil can grow inside your instrument. Just say NOOOO to saxophone lung!

How do you sterilize a used saxophone?

Before sterilizing a used saxophone, we must know the difference between cleaning and sterilizing (yes, they are different). Cleaning removes dirt, oils, and grime from surfaces. Sterilization kills all microorganisms. Everyone can clean their saxophone using the steps outlined above. Only professional saxophone repair technicians can fully “overhaul” a saxophone to almost sterilize the instrument.

When a repair tech overhauls a saxophone they disassemble all the parts, remove and throw away all the bio-sourced parts from the saxophone (felt, cork, leather pads, etc) then deep clean all the metal parts (often using an ultrasonic cleaner and cleaning solution). Then the repair tech re-installs new bio-sourced parts of the saxophone, re-assembles the instrument, and adjusts it to top playing condition. This overhaul process is the closest you can get to sterilizing a used saxophone. 

The good news is that most used saxophones don’t require this level of cleaning and repair. Think of the thousands and thousands of rental saxophones in circulation around the world. Every day, sax repair techs freshen up these used instruments with partial repairs, hand cleaning (using steps outlined above), vacuuming out the saxophone case, and adding some fresh scent similar to the Lemon Pledge advice above. Of course the techs also toss out the used swabs, used reeds, and other personal use items so no nasty gunk carries forward from the previous player.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to clean spit off a saxophone?

Can I clean my sax with alcohol?

It is not advisable to clean your saxophone with alcohol. Is it possible? Yes. Is it advisable? No. You risk damage to the saxophone pads, felts, corks, or lacquer. Different types of cleaning alcohol evaporate slower or faster than others. Professional repair techs will skillfully use some fast evaporating alcohol and solvents to spot clean the instrument (like Naphtha, the active ingredient in some lighter fluids). But for the average sax player you just don’t want to mess with alcohol on the outside or inside of your saxophone. It’s often flammable, has bad or harmful fumes, and if you use too much or the wrong kind it can damage the finish of your instrument and soak into your corks, felts and pads in ways that affect their function. If you really need a super deep clean of your saxophone it’s best to take it to a professional band instrument repair technician and have them do a cleaning oil and adjustment (COA) that we discuss in the guide above. This way the repair tech can properly dismantle, deep clean, and adjust your sax so it’s back in top playing condition and cleaner than you could ever get it yourself.

Can I use vinegar to clean my saxophone?

There may be some times when you can use vinegar to clean a saxophone, but never apply it undiluted or directly to the instrument.

If your saxophone has caked on spit stains or gunk that just won’t come off with lukewarm water and gentle cleaning using a soft cloth, then Plan A has failed and you need to try plan B, C, or D:

Plan B -  Lemon Pledge sprayed onto a soft cloth and then gently rubbed on the trouble spot of your saxophone. This is a mild cleaner that also helps shine your instrument. Be sure to keep the Pledge off your leather pads, felts and corks. You don’t want it there. Just on the metal. If that doesn’t work…

Plan C - Add a cap full of white vinegar into a cup of lukewarm water. Use this diluted vinegar solution on a soft clean cloth to gently rub the spit stains on your saxophone. If that doesn’t work…

Plan D - Take your instrument to a saxophone repair tech for deeper cleaning and maintenance. They have the skill, experience, and tools to deep clean your saxophone so it shines!

Can I use hydrogen peroxide to clean my saxophone?

It’s not typically a good idea to use hydrogen peroxide to clean your saxophone. Some folks have tested hydrogen peroxide solutions to clean saxophone mouthpieces but it is not wise to use hydrogen peroxide to clean your saxophone. There are much more mild options that work well and are detailed above. 

How do you clean saliva off a saxophone?

You can clean saliva off a saxophone with a soft cloth. The detailed guide above will help you with these steps. If that doesn’t work, try a bit of lemon pledge on the soft cloth. If that doesn’t work, consult a repair professional. 

We hope this article on How to clean spit off a saxophone has been helpful and informative! 

Shop Cleaning Cloths and Cleaning Supplies, including the items recommended in this article. Cleaning Cloths for Saxophone Silk Swabs for Saxophone Key Leaves saxophone key props Spit Sponge pad dryer for saxophones GapCap saxophone care cap and end plug Vent Vine to keep the top of your saxophone clean Soft Bristle Brush for Cleaning Soprano Sax Necks and Sax Mouthpieces Bari Saxophone Cleaner