cleaning drums

[question444]

Have some drums that haven't been touched for years. Read through the archives and found mixed opinions on what to clean them with. What do you guys think? water? windex? pledge? tiny $30 can of drum-specific cleaning solution? I just want to cleanup the outsides. thanks.

[funkdrmr]

What kind of finish is on the shells?

[question444]

they are yamaha stage custom. They are black gloss, it looks kind of like transparent paint because if I hold the drum close to light it looks kind of like redish woodgrain.

[jaykeMURD]

Unless the dirt and grime is really caked on, warm water and a soft cloth should to it. Sounds like it's a stained or lacquered finish, pretty deilcate so be careful.

[Brad_C]

Actual I would use windex. Warm water and drum shells really don't mix and you can't be sure of how it would react. If it doesn't apear that they need to be clean greatly then I would leave them alone.

[jumptactic]

i wouldn't clean them at all. for the sake of aesthetics you are sacrificing a lot of warmth and tonality that you can't get from a new sparkly drum!

[Freethinker]

I use my vaccum cleaner with the dusting attachment on my shells, windex wipes on my cymbals and hardware, but only about once or twice a year.

[PhilGood]

I would clean laquered wood shells with Murphy's oil soap. Then clean the lugs and rims with windex sprayed onto a rag.

Any other kind of wrapped drums: 409!