How can i get rid of the rust in my trumpet??

Question

the rust... You know the buttons, on the left side of it...

Answer 1

where is the rust?

Answer 2

try oiling it

Answer 3

Well, a lot depends upon whether what you are seeing is "rust" or "red rot". What can be done depends upon the finish of the trumpet... whether it is lacquered or silver-plated.

If it is "red rot", here is something taken from the web-page of a very reputable repair shop. Please pay close attention to answer #3.

Q:  What is red rot? Where does it occur and why? How do I prevent it?

A:  1. Red rot (dezincification) is the result of corrosion breaking down the metal  alloy in your instrument. The brass used in the musical instruments consist of approximately 70% copper and 30% zinc. When the metal breaks down from all the acids in saliva, salts, and scale build up in your instrument. The zinc is eaten away first leaving the copper behind. This is the reason it is called red rot because of the reddish spots of corrosion.  

2. Most red rot happens in the leadpipe on most instrument. The leadpipe tends to always collect the most amount of build up, so the consistent exposure to moisture speeds up the corrosion process.

3. To prevent red rot from happening or to keep it from getting any worse, have your instrument professional cleaned to remove the scale build  up in your instrument. Soap and water will not remove this  kind of build up. Using grocery store bought cleaners will dissolve much of this stuff but, the phosphoric acid contained in these products will  leave the brass unstable which in turn can actually speed up the corrosion process once it starts again.

4. Make sure to oil your valves and rotors, you really cannot over oil your instrument. It would be also a good idea to place a few drops of oil into the leadpipe after you oil your instrument as this well help to dissipate moisture and r****d the corrosion inside. When you done playing remove as much of the moisture as possible.  

5. Once every couple of weeks use a instrument flexible brush (snake) or leadpipe swab to clean the leadpipe and rest of the instrument with soap and water.  If you do this regularly, you will reduce the scale build up from forming inside your instrument.  

If it is indeed "rust", you can try CLR. CLR is Calcium-Lime-Rust remover. It is available at almost every hardware, grocery, discount retailer, and lumberyard. You'll find it in the cleaning products area.

Mix it 10 to 1 with water. Do not soak the horn more than 30 minutes and it will clean it well. Then just use the normal brushes on it and rinse it well with water to flush it out.

If it's silver-plated, you can use a good quality silver polish, such as Wright's, Flitz, or even Twinkle,

If it is lacquered, I would take the horn to a reputable repair shop and have a chem-clean done, and hope for the best.

Taking it to a repair shop is often the best solution to any problem, unless you have a lot of experience doing these kinds of things. And, if you have the experience, it probably came from a qualified repair person in the first place.

Good luck!