Magic Valve's Trombone Slide Cleaning Kit does an incredible job of cleaning the slide and making it (in many cases) slide like new, but like many things, putting that kind of power in inexperienced hands may lead to unanticipated problems if used too liberally.

Brass instrument valves and slides get dirty over time. Since oil by its nature attracts dust and other particles it is only a matter of time until an instrument becomes too dirty to be easily playable. Traditional trombone cleaning methods with soapy water and a good valve brush or slide snake work in most cases but there are times when even the most thorough home cleaning still leaves the valve or slide actions sluggish. A new product called Magic Valve's Slide Cleaning Kit promises to help remedy this problem but the methods used in the product leave some brass manufacturers concerned. 

What Is Magic Valve

Magic Valve cleaning kits come in two styles. One is intended for piston valve brass instruments such as trumpets, flugelhorns, cornets, baritones, and tubas. Another kit is intended for slide trombones. Each kit comes with a small jar of the Magic Valve powder, an instruction sheet, and other accessories depending on the instrument being cleaned. The kits sell for between $7 and $17 at Woodwind and Brasswind.