Cymbal Cleaning Tips & Tricks WITH SOUND TEST Cymbals Bar Keepers Friend 

My suggestions are for brilliant finish cymbals only. Been using BKF on Zildjian A Customs for over 20 years. The key is to wet the cymbal, shake a small amount on it, use a wet fiber towel to spread with minimal pressure so the logos don't get removed (you may need to use some pressure if cymbal has a lot of stick marks) then rinse thoroughly with warm to hot water and dry with fresh fiber towels. They will look brand new after this. Next step is to wax them. I use Meguiars Gold Liquid Wax. No more fingerprints!! Another important thing to do is to wax the brilliant cymbals when they are brand new and untouched with a thin layer of wax. This will provide a great layer of protection for fingerprints and stick marks and DOES NOT effect the sound and will actually cut down the amount of time they need to be cleaned because they are already protected. I have 15 year old brilliant A Customs and Oriental Chinas that look brand new. Also if your cymbals are always set up wipe them down lightly with a fiber towel once a week just to keep the dust out of the lathes. In short, screw all the other methods, BKF is the best!! Soda or lemon juice on cymbals? Both are acidic!! Would you wipe your asshole with a Clorox wipe too? Jeezis!!

I do brass and percussion repair for a living. I also do reloading as a hobby, so I clean a LOT of brass. You can clean brass in two ways. Chemically or abrasively. Chemically: Acids are great. You are removing an oxide layer that forms on the surface. Salt + Vinegar forms a low grade Hydrochloric acid. I use this every day in instruments, but a commercial product to delime/decalcify in inside or trumpets. It does wonders on cymbals that have green spots. I dip them in and out in under a minute. Maybe 15 second. It will etch brass and bronze if left in too long. I also use this as a soak for pistol and rifle cases that need to be cleaned before reloading them. Citric acid also does great in a tumbler with Lemi-Shine for dishwashers. A little soap and water added makes them really shine after tumbling them for an hour. Abrasives: Bar Keepers, Comet, Bon Ami, all are a very, very, mild abrasive like in the order of 4,000 grit. It does what the chemicals do - removes an oxide layer, but it also polishes the metal. It does not remove metal. Just makes the high spots really shine on a microscopic level, which is visible to us as like "WOW". Machine polishing. A variety of compounds are used. Heat can build. Material is removed. Look at any BRILLIANT or A CUSTOM cymbal. The grooves are smoothed off. They can be like a mirror. Fingerprint like mad. Finger cheese, acids and oils, dirt will dull the finish. The only way to keep it shiny is to clear coat it until that wears off or is removed with chemicals or abrasives. This is done accidentally a lot. Paiste clear coats. Zildjians are lightly coated on the A's and probably others. High copper cymbals really get ugly when the coating is worn away or removed. Think Paiste here. Look the best when new. The worst when old. 602s are the exception because they are B20, not B8. I'm going to do a before and after cleaning and clear coating a cymbal. Clear coats: Johnson floor wax may provide and long lasting barrier to oxidation. Clear lacquer is the generic term for what the biggies are using. I think I will try using nitro cellulose lacquer that is made for brass coating. Nitro dries thru evaporation. It shrinks back so it is very acoustically transparent. I have applied 15 heavy coats to a drum. Measuring a piece of tape revealed that also go 15 coats revealed that it only got like .005" 5 thousandths of an inch after it dried. A single coat would shrink back to something like only a few TEN thousandths of an inch thick. It is hard, but not incredibly abrasion or acid resistant. My Paistes have marks in the lacquer on them from using brushes on them. See what I am saying?

Non-scientific experiment with Zildjian Cymbal Cleaner by a drummer: I hope to post this on multiple locations that show the Zildjian Cymbal cleaner. I'll premise this by saying that I've been using Bar keepers friend for a number of years successfully, among other cymbal cleaners over the years. The Zildjian cymbal cleaner is about 15-16 bucks per 8 oz. bottle, and I find these cleaners are a great money maker for cymbal companies. Bottom line, I'm a drummer who hopes to spread the word to other drummers to hopefully help them save a buck. I recently bought a new Zildjian brilliant cymbal and wanted to test this cleaner. It comes in a white liquid that one spreads evenly, but sparingly, per the directions, onto both sides of the cymbal. Then it is wiped off with a soft cloth. My first impression was that it is very messy and the black oxidation that comes off (even on a cleaner cymbal like my newest one) is excessive, so one needs plenty of soft clothes. This newest Zildjian cymbal still had a sheen to it, but there were stick marks that the cleaner did not get off. You're going to need a A LOT of elbow grease to get all the polish off. At this stage of my life, I've used up most of my elbow grease. Drummers need to keep in mind that cymbals, like Zildjian, come from the factory with a factory-applied chemical sheen/coat that eventually wears off through cleaning. This is fine and purely natural. Bar keepers friend is a world easier. Some people point of that is has an acid in it, but it's a WEAK acid, that won't harm the cymbal. Also, BKF doesn't irritate your hands/fingers, and if it doesn't hurt your skin, it's sure not going to damage/hurt your cymbal. With BKF, wet the cymbal, use the powder or liquid version and a small sponge. Let it sit for a few second, then wipe and rise off. Surprise! It's comes out with a nice shine, without the endless elbow grease. I would suggest the liquid version of BKF to avoid micro abrasions with the powder version . I hope this helps. BMM

I've used Bar Keepers Friend for years. Shines the cymbals up nicely, doesn't affect the sound other than I think a shinier cymbal has a brighter tone.

Don't do this on top of a carpet if you're using Brasso. I did it once and left a nice black circle on the carpet. Mom was thrilled.

I found this after I decided to 'restore' some old and very cheap (I guess catalogue quality) high hats, and ride. I gave them a wipe down with decorator's white spirit which lifted surface muck and grease. Then I got out my mouse sander and literally sanded them down pretty severely. I just used medium grit sandpaper. Then same but with wire wool. Followed by a cloth on the sander. I could have finished with fine wet and dry but I like the texture the medium grit left. The cymbals look great and sound much better. I'm using them as crashes! I had nothing to lose so the risk was worth it. Hell I don't care if something isn't working go mad!

If you like old/patena sounding cymbals? I have found if you just clean the bell, top and bottom, it will give you more volume, projection and clarity, but will keep that old/patena sound. I've also found that just soap and warm water does a good job of cleaning excess dirt without totally ruining the patena.

I recently found just one of my first hihat cymbals. A five star super zyn 14". I looked so long for the second but never found it. I cleaned it with bar keeper's friend and it came up beautiful. I will never sell it, it was purchased by me way back in 69.

Thanks for the comparison test. It. has definately helped me decide to use cymbal polish for my cymbals.

I just cleaned my hi hats with bar keepers friend .it really works.thay sound brighter and crispy thair from the 70’s 😀👍

What would we do without RU-vid?? 😅🎉 great test!

Best guess with the vinegar is that it is oxydising the surface of the cymbal and this is taking off a microscopic layer which also happens to house the corrosion. Hence you need oxygen to make the process work, so soaking isn't the answer. Personally, judging by how well that worked, I would cover the cymbal in a shit load of bi carb and then spray the vinegar on with a spray bottle (outside or get a house full of foam) to really get a reaction going on top of the cymbal, and then leave the foamy pasty mess for a couple hours, re-wetting the paste if it dries out, then rinse. You want it damp but not so wet that oxygen doesn't get in. Or just keep spraying on fresh vinegar once or twice an hour for a few hours maybe, let it dry out some and then hit it again and keep the O2 working. I might try this with the shitty 2nd hand hats I got with a $100 kit recently. I'll take before and after photos if I do!

Huge sound difference, much brighter more clear when cleaned.

Just FYI all of these are using acids to clean the surface. Lemon = citric acid, also ketchup, vinegar = acetic acid, bar keepers friend = oxalic acid, which is also wood bleach. However, wood bleach at say Home Depot is 100% oxalic acid so I wouldn't actually use it without testing, gloves, goggles, and OUTSIDE and expect it to possibly ruin item. Salt is probably leaving a residue on the brass. And green is from the copper in the brass that is oxidizing i.e. combining with oxygen. You've seen the green that results from copper left outside in the rain.

Of course there is a difference. Clean HH sounded a lot nicer. Bright tone with great, bright attack as well. I hear a big difference.

I think BKF and then buff them with a drill and buff wheel or my bench buffer. Cool video, thanks.

bar keeps looks best so far

The huge difference in sound is the "feeping" overtone freequencees that are completely missing in uncleaned condition recording. With good headphones and audio device u should ezly hear that. Or you cant here those frequences any more. I experienced the cleaning sound enhancement the first time by surprise.. didnt do it for acoustic effects but I heard it imediatly and was amazed.

Thanks for sharing

Good video and showing the differences; seems you stained the one with the vinegar left over time; chemicals and air have an effect on metal, sometimes permanently as you can see here; I am cleaning mines with apple cedar vinegar, no soaking time needed, just put it on, leave it for few seconds and rinse all done with a smooth sponge or paper towels to work the fingerprints off, but then again my cymbals that I am doing this are a set of HHX Evolution and a set of Paragons, both sets are new relatively and have been played on only a handful of times, they were more covered in dust from left setup than anything. I do have the cleaning products but I want the logos to stay, so it is apple cedar vinegar to the rescue, after a good rinse it does not smells at all.

Never dull is the best

Coke seems really good. I cranked the treble on my monitors and the clean ones seem to have a bit more sustain

From my phone I think I could hear a higher pitch when it was clean. I think I like the dirty one better.

To me the clean cymbal sounds a bit brighter.

What about using barkeepers friend and putting on with lemons?

coke is working but with ketchup, it does a good job. The thing is do NOT leave the ketchup more the 20min MAX. I know what I'm talking about. I forgot about more then an hour and I totally ruin my cymbal.You can see kind of ketchup strips all around the cymbal. It doesn't go away. so it does a good job for really cheap but MAX 20-25min

the vinegar kinda had a cool look to it

Watch at Playback speed on 1.5x. You’re welcome

I have been using Twinkle Brass & Copper Cleaner for over 50 years. It works Great!

Next time you can use original Zildjian cymbal polish. I use it for a few years and this polish is only cleaner i ever use on my Planet Z Zildjians..makes miracles on cymbal surface

bar keeps friend woorks the best

Great tips, if you’re in the UK you can get BKF from Lakeland 👍😬

the vinegar vapors are stronger due to oxygen maybe try vinegar on bottom and suspend cymbal on top just using the vapor to clean

I have some 1970 Zildjian k they are ugly dirty.. but cost me so much I'm afraid to clean them. Will it ruin them? Or am I safe to try the bkf?

i heard that Ajax powder works

My guess by looking at the lathing is that these hihats are made in Italy at the Tosco factory in the 70s, perhaps a CB-700. What does the stamp indicate?

I am wondering if you still HAVE cymbals after soaking them in coke for an entire week.

Hello, I just clean my cymbals with bar keeper and the results was a mess, my cymbals have a lot of stains and wipe marks in a tarnish color, any suggestion?

Perhaps the combination of lemon and salt might be a good option.

I’m looking to buy some bar keepers friend tomorrow. Can anyone confirm that using BKF is good on my (1960’s, 1970’s) Zildjian A’s cymbals is okay? Thanks.

Hi, how often should l clean my cymbals?

You could have just put something big into the tubs to displace the liquid so it covers the bell.

Bar keepers friend seems best.

How about Bar Keepers Friend with a lemon instead of the sponge?

How did the week-long coke soak go?

Try cymbol polish or brasso polish

I like the sound of dirty cymbals

uncleaned is a little bit warmer. . cleaner, more brilliant.

Slightly brighter sound after cleaning

Interesting but i think both still look really dull after the entire process, perhaps they need polish now?

I use Cameo, copper/porcelain and brass cleaner... It's non abrasive, There's no awful order and It works... E.L.K.

brasso works as well

I feel like using that brush with the bar keepers was not right...should have sponged it

Ketchup

Lemons work the best

1 minutes on, and wipe off!

Or you can just use Groove Juice and a sponge and in 2 minutes your cymbals will look like new.

I prefer Pepsi myself.

I use beer to clean my cymbals.

because it oxidized in the air

Ketchup!

Try mother's metal polish

look at Lance Campanu to learn how to clean a cymbal

I used it to for a long time. Then I noticed they would start getting that green tarnish on em within a week or so. I found that it strips the protective laquer off of the cymbal so I stopped using it. In the long run that stuff destroys cymbals, it does shine em up real good but in the end its Not worth it, avoid Barkeepers Friend!

omg... dude...use groove juice and cut it 1/3 with water... it takes just a few minutes.

I think the reason the lemon doesn’t work as well is because it isn’t an abrasive.

the tubs need to be air tight

The bkf

Cola...lol .. :)) !!

That's not a wire brush your using is it

Vinegar is an acid and I wouldn't use it. Liquid bar keepers friend and Pledge metal polish are pretty darn good.

Never use abrasives on cymbals. Never sorry Bar Keepers Friend

Bar keepers looks better

Vinegar needs oxygen.

Just use the Barkeeper's friend and quit screwing around wasting time, effort, Coke & vinegar. Geez.

You destroy hi hat sound and look. All cymbals have protect cout and don't clenining na that way. Not good.