I have a bassoon and it is nasty i mean like i could probably catch a disease from it, it is so gross and disgusting. It is not mine it is the schools and it seems like it hasn't been cleaned since like the 17th century. I've tried to do the cleaning cloth thing and when i look through the bell it is still very disturbing. Please help me before i get a disease and die from it. Thanks!
I use 2 cloth pieces that have been specially made for bassoon.
One is for the wing joint (the thinnest piece which is not the bent metal part) and one for the boot (which is the part with a U tube on one end and 2 holes at the other end).
I also clean out the bocal (the bent metal thing) sometimes with some slightly soapy water and a pipe cleaner brushy thing.
The other two pieces should normally not have to be cleaned on regular use apart from wiping the keys after playing maybe.
Your horn sounds like it would really like to go visit some good woodwind shop for a nice clean.
As it sounds as the thing is in a such disgusting state I would suggest, in addition, finding some suitable long brushes (Hardware store maybe) & get the dust & loose stuff out from all parts of the bore when it is dry before using the damp cloth in the wing & small side of the butt joint.
But by far the best is to get it properly cleaned out by a good repairer as the tone holes are probably gummed up as well as the bore which will affect the way it plays - making notes out of tune and/or stuffy. I reckon your school ought to pay for this unless you are feeling kind. As well as getting rid of the gunge & making it less of a health hazard a repairer can pick up all sorts of leaks & bad adjustments which make it hard to play. You are more likely to enjoy the bassoon & progress quicker if the thing works properly.
If the valves are sticky, you can clean them by covering the hole under the valve with a cigarette-paper. Then you close the valve and pull away the paper. By doing this regularly, you also reduce the noise coming from your valves while playing.
Furthermore, if your bassoon looks really dirty, it probably hasn't been to a serviceman for a long time. For good maintenance, it is useful to do this every two years.
You can use cotton wool dampened with surgical spirit (from a chemist's / pharmacy) to wipe grease off the outside of the instrument and the keywork. It smells a bit but evaporates very quickly.
It also works well if you need to clean up the cork on the tenons, or the inside of the joints, which can get clogged with a layer of partly dried-out cork grease.
A soft pastry brush is useful for getting in between and under the keys and rods to brush out accumulated gunge.
Cotton buds (with or without surgical spirit) are also useful for getting into small spaces and underneath keys and rods. I have used one of these to wipe out finger holes but go carefully and don't force it if it seems tight.
You can get wood polishing cloths (e.g. from Howarth's in the UK) that help to shine up the body of the instrument.
However, if the whole thing needs a service, better to get it all done by a workshop!
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