|  The Clarinet BBoard 
 
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    | Author: joshrey123 Date:   2016-01-14 01:09
 
 I have a clarinet with golden plated keys. Is there a specific polishing cloth i should use for these keys or will a silver polishing cloth do the job?
 
 
 
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    | Author: jdbassplayer Date:   2016-01-14 01:16
 
 You don't want to use any "polishing" cloth on gold keys. Gold doesn't really tarnish in the same way as silver or nickel. A polishing cloth on gold will just speed up wear. What you want to do is wipe down your keys with a microfiber cloth or, if you don't have a microfiber cloth, a simple piece of cotton cloth will be okay.
 -Jdbassplayer
 
 
 
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    | Author: DavidBlumberg Date:   2016-01-15 08:26
 
 However, eventually you might get a buildup of finger oil even with the cloth.
 
 
 Maybe once a year use a small strip of "ragging cloth" which JL Smith Company sells by the 2 ft roll, and wipe very, VERY gently the keys. That takes off finger oil, and really shines them up, but does remove a micro layer of material.
 
 So do not ever use it on a remotely regular basis.
 
 http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
 
 
 
 
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    | Author: Monsterchef Date:   2016-01-15 11:22
 
 Whether gold plating can tarnish depends what gold alloy is used for that particular plating. 9K gold is 37.5% pure. Thus without cleaning it can probably tarnish over time.
 
 
 
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