How to Take Care of your Kalimba?

Kalimba Care: How to Take Care of your Kalimba?

Kalimbas are those beautiful little instruments that belong to the family of idiophones. Born in the continent of Africa, Kalimbas are instruments that emit a very melodious sound and are played just like a piano. That is why we call them thumb pianos. Kalimbas are usually made out of strong rosewood and they are played by pressing the metallic tines which create the music. Quite an easy instrument that can be played by one and all, maintaining and taking good care of it is a must since like everything, even Kalimbas need proper maintenance. Thus, that is why, to help you with the taking care part, here we have covered all the basics and the important instructions that you need to know and follow in order to take care of your Kalimba. Thus, if you are a beginner and are new to this exotic world of Kalimba, then worry not, as we have got your back like always. Now, without any more dilly-dally, let us proceed to what you have to do to take care of your Kalimba.

Kalimba Cleaning

Like every instrument or gadget or anything, you have to clean the Kalimba regularly if you want it to remain shiny and glossy. Just cleaning with a dry cloth can be done once in every two weeks but the major cleaning can be done once a month. The cleaning part has to be done in two ways-

Cleaning the wood

The body of the Kalimba is made of wood. So, like all the other wooden instruments, clean your Kalimba with a dry cloth or towel regularly. You can wipe it occasionally with a wet cloth but it should have very less amount of water. Just keep in mind that you have to remove the dust and all sorts of dirt from the Kalimba so you have to wipe it clean accordingly.
You can use mild soaps and detergents in a very little quantity to keep it spotless clean. Also, you can ‘feed’ oils and butter to the wood to retain the gloss. Just clean it gently with warm water and wipe it dry.

How to clean kalimba tines?

Tines are either made of metal or steel. For those tines that are made of metal, all you have to do is put some mineral oil on them and then clean them with a dry cloth. For those tines that do not use paint, you can rub them clean with ink erasers that will help you retain the polish of the tines. The erasers will help you reach all the corners and clean it properly. The tines, which use paint for etching the numbers, have to be cleaned with a damp cloth only. Using a little bit of soap won’t do any harm to the tines, but you must ensure that no moisture gets collected on them or else they may rust. Cleaning the tines can be done once a month.

Prevention from rust

The tines in your instrument can catch rust if you do not keep them free from moisture and oxygen. To avoid rust, wipe your Kalimba after every time you play it. However, if you find rust on the tines, you can use the eraser or sandpaper and steel wool and clean the tines to remove all the rust. Repainting painted tines also works wonders to remove rust effectively.

Kalimba Tuning

Each and every musical instrument requires tuning. And so does your beloved little Kalimba friend. Therefore, tune your Kalimba once in a while to remove the misalignment of the tines and ensure that there is no buzzing sound coming out of it. You can tune it by sliding the tines with the tuning hammer and following the manual instructions.

Kalimba Maintenance

Apart from this you can do the following steps to take good care of your instrument. The requisites are-

  • Always keep the Kalimba in a pouch or a box or any protective case you like. This will prevent the Kalimba from getting exposed to rain, heat, sunlight, high temperatures, water or any kind of pressure and shock that can cause physical damage to it.
  • Ensure that the Kalimba is away from humidity. Humidity causes the wood to expand and the Kalimba to bloat. Therefore, keep it protected from humidity.
  • Keep the Kalimba with silica gel to prevent any harm.
  • Moisturize the Kalimba with shea butter or mild oil.
  • Tune and clean it every month to increase the longevity of the instrument.

Things to avoid

There are certain things that you have to avoid at all costs to keep the Kalimba safe and sound. They are:

  • Don’t use alcohol or strong soaps as they can be harsh to the Kalimba and corrode it.
  • Don’t expose the Kalimba to direct sunlight, extremely high or extremely low temperature.
  • Don’t use too much of force while playing or cleaning the Kalimba.
  • Don’t forget to keep it in a case while travelling with the instrument.

Well, these are the few things that you need to do in order to keep your Kalimba healthy, safe and long-lasting. Kalimbas are ideal for kids and adults and the sound that they produce is nothing but pure bliss to the ears. These thumb pianos need very little maintenance but you have to take care of your Kalimba properly if you want this lovely musical friend of yours to stay by your side for the years to come. Taking care of Kalimbas involve no rocket science. Thus, follow the easy steps to take care of your Kalimba as we have mentioned above and see the magic for yourself.