Daily care:
Wipe the trombone down with a cleaning cloth (a silicon cloth for lacquered or a silver cloth for silver plated horns). Keep one in your case or mute bag. After every playing session, wipe the outside of horn down with the cloth. This removes oils and acids that come from your hands that destroy the finish. One minute of wiping down your horn will keep it in great shape. Most players overlook this simple task and wonder why the lacquer or plating begins showing wear.
Slide maintenance:
Clean the slide daily to keep it in top working condition. You will need a trombone cleaning rod, some soft rags (old t-shirts work well), and fresh slide lubricant. Clean the inside of the outer and inner slide with a cloth attached to the cleaning rod (use separate rods for the best results). Wipe the outside of the inner slide with a clean rag. This should be done before you put your trombone away after use. The slide should be put in the case dry. Lubricate the slide just before using it.
Below is the recommended Slide-o-Mix cleaning rod and stocking set:
Every Month:
To give your trombone a complete monthly cleaning, you need following items:
*A flexible brush, commonly called a "snake," that can be purchased at any music store.
*A mouthpiece brush -- again, available at any music store.
*A bathtub
*Some cotton rags
*A beach towel to dry the trombone
Fill the bathtub with lukewarm water. Do not use hot water. I repeat: Do not use hot water! Hot water can actually damage the lacquer. Disassemble the trombone into two parts, the slide and the bell section. Then take the outer slide off the inner slide. You now have three parts. Then remove the tuning slide. Now you should have four parts in the water. Include the mouthpiece and you have five!
Place all the parts in the bathtub and let them soak for about 10 minutes. Be very careful with the parts, especially the inner and outer slide. Handle them gently at all times. Stand the bell section up away from the other parts and gentle clean the bell on the outside and, as much as possible, on the inside. Rinse the parts with clean water, using a shower hose, if you have one.
Use a bath towel and wipe the bell before putting it in a safe place to air dry. Do not use a blow dryer for any part of the drying process, as a blow dryer can damage the lacquer!
Next, take the outer slide and run the snake back and forth through the  inside of it while holding it under water. This will bring the debris into solution. Keep working on it for about one minute on each side. Rinse the inside and outside of the outer slide, then wipe it with a towel and let it air dry with the bell.
Now take the inner slide, and using a clean cotton rag, wipe the outside firmly. Then take the snake and clean the inside using the same procedure as with the outer slide. Rinse, wipe, and place it with the other parts.
Use the snake to clean the inside of the tuning slide. The tuning slide grease hardens over time and needs special attention when cleaning. Use a penetrating oil like WD-40. Spray the tuning slide and let sit for two minutes. Then wipe away as much "gunk" as possible. If the horn has not been cleaned in a while, you may have to repeat this several times.
Finally, take the mouthpiece brush and clean the inside shank, then wipe the outside with a with a cotton rag.
Reassembly:
First, apply grease to the tuning slide. “Use sparingly ……. a little goes a long way.” Wipe any extra grease away with a clean cloth. A great way to "work in" new tuning slide grease is to insert one tube, work it up and down and spin it, then repeat with the other tube. When the grease is evenly spread, insert both tubes. Reinsert the tuning slide into the bell section. Now lubricate the slide and your trombone is clean and ready for use.
Note: Do not use abrasive cleaners or cleaning pads.
Now go and practice!
At the end of the practice section, wipe the horn down and clean the slide.
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