Depending on the cymbal that may not be the best thing to do. As always there is two schools of thought and many believe that the cymbal sound and or character will change.

The cymbal sound has changed over the years with the dirt in the grooves etc.

Then others feel that a shiny cymbal is better so they go ahead and buff them to a high gloss.

Most importantly if the cymbal has any markings do not put any chemicals on them.

I have heard of a product called Brite Stuff and it is closer to a liquid then a polish and you just spray it on the cymbal and let it sit for a bit then just wash it off and the cymbal is supposed to shine like crazy.

I have had correspondence with the owner and he sent me samples. Let me know if you can't find it and I will give you his phone number or email.

Cleaning

David

Webmaster

I am by no means an expert, but I've used Groove Juice by ProMark successfully on Zildjian cymbals. It is simply applied via spray bottle, left to soak a minute or so, and then rinsed off with water. On an older cymbal, I've used a soft sponge to work the cleaner into the grooves. I like this product due to the fact that it does not require any abrasive polishing.

Ken

Thanks, I will try these products and post the results. Cool

I recently stumbled on a product that seems to work pretty well. It's called Blue Coral All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser. I tried it on a couple pies I wasn't too worried about for starters and then used it on some others. Here's the deal. It does a pretty good job of removing smudges, gunk, old peanut butter sandwich spills etc. but doesn't seem to really change the natural patina of the cymbal. That's what I like a natural look minus the mess. You can find this product in the automotive section of hardware or auto parts stores. Now don't just take my word for it and use it all over your prized Istanbul K's without testing first. One of the things I liked is that unlike some of the other really caustic type liquids or sprays I didn't have to wear gloves to work on it. Also, a 32oz. bottle of this stuff was on sale for only a couple bucks. Comes with a refreshing orange citrus smell to boot!Cool

I followed the advice given above and tried Groove Juice...it is the absolute best thing I've ever found. My cymbals had about forty years of crud on them and two applications of this stuff and they look brand new!!!! You just spray it on and wait for about two minutes and rinse it off and it works!!!! Not recommended for cheap cymbals. I've already bought my second bottle. Wonderful stuff.

flowers2

Ok I'll put my 2 cents in here. I have used for the last 4 years a product called Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream. It has worked wonders on everything I have ever used it on. It removes rust as well. From chrome to pure silver, without putting scratches in the metal. This is a non-abrasive cleaner. Look at the pic and you will see the difference. That cymbal is over 40 years old!! I know some people prefer to leave them alone, but I tend to like things to be as close to the way they would have been as new. That's just me though.