Everyone knows the distinct sounds and qualities of the high hat. From avid drummers to music lovers alike, the high hat is the piece of every drum set known for breakdowns, intros, and bridges alike. However, what if your high hat sounds so toned down it almost disappears in the cacophony? This is where a good high hat cleaning is highly effective but how do you clean your high hats without affecting the sound and quality of them indefinitely?
The best way to clean your high hats without ruining them is simply to use Brasso or another brass-specific cleaner. You should also use a lint-free cloth to pick up dust, debris and water from your high hats before and after every use. However, most drummers will argue that this is as far as you should go to keep that unique sound which only comes from slightly dirty cymbals.
For a better rundown of the steps, a full description of what not to do to keep your high hats safe, and a definitive answer to the question of which spelling is the right one, read on and find answers to all of your high hat questions and more.
What Cleaners Will Ultimately Ruin Your High Hats?
There are many mistakes that new drummers make when cleaning any of their cymbals. The most common being to use WD-40, polishes, standard household cleaners, or abrasive scrubbers. All of these things will essentially damage the sound and longevity of your high hats guaranteed.
Because WD-40 is highly abrasive, using this to clean your high hats will lead to their grooves slowly eroding and their sound being affected as well. Similarly, many household cleaners can be just as abrasive and harmful to the overall sound of your high hat over time. When it comes to polishes and greases, these will only gunk up your high hat and make it far easier for it to attract air debris.
Lastly, using abrasive scrubbers, polishers, sandpaper, or brillo pads may seem clever when you are first starting out or if you have never cleaned your high hats before, but this technique could ultimately ruin your cymbals indefinitely.
What are the Signs of Destroyed High Hats to Look out for?
When your high hats are destroyed, this doesn’t mean that they are unusable or broken. Instead, it’s all about their sound and their quality. While some drummers will say that cleaning your cymbals keeps them crisp and sounding great, most drummers will argue that the best cymbals are those that are rarely cleaned and retain that unique sound that only older cymbals can possibly have. In fact, some drummers in online drumming forums have even recommended burying your cymbals overnight to make them sound more vintage and toned down; although we wouldn’t recommend this personally as it is a bit insane and the complete opposite of cleaning your high hats!
All in all, if you overclean or wear down your cymbals, they will become very sharp and crisp which can be abrasive and ruin your sound indefinitely. This is what it means to destroy your high hats and other cymbals. As this sound will likely cut on recordings, make your drum rhythms seem abrasive, and even hurt listeners’ ears, it simply isn’t something you want to overdo. This is why knowing the right techniques and cleaning products is essential.
Safe Cleaning Techniques, Recommended Products, etc.
Once you have chosen to clean your high hats, you will now want to prepare your workspace for the cleaning process, find the right products to do so, and be as careful as possible.
The products we recommend are any of the most common brass cleaning products such as Spitballs brass cleaning discs or Brasso but also Sabian’s Safe & Sound Cymbal Cleaner. We also recommend using lint-free cloths and cleaning off debris before and after every use.
When cleaning your high hats with a brass cleaner specifically, start by removing any excess debris with a cloth. Then take your lint-free cloth, apply a small amount of the selected cleaner to the cloth itself, and clean in a circular motion moving outwards. Make sure all excess cleaner is wiped away, and then simply reassemble your high hats. This is the best way to ensure that your high hats stay clean but not so clean as to limit their toned-down sound quality that can only come from a bit of wear.
We recommend doing this process only about 3 to four times a year and cleaning with water monthly. This will ensure that you don’t overclean your cymbals and will still keep them in pristine condition for far longer.
Ketchup or Apple Cider to Clean Cymbals?
Two other unique cleaning methods that are often seen online in random forums and the depths of the internet are to use ketchup or apple cider in the cleaning process. The reason this works is that apple cider is acidic but not enough to deteriorate your cymbals in any way. Similarly, ketchup is acidic and also is great for removing grease buildup or polish buildup. If you choose to try one of these methods, you may want to watch these videos on how to do these precisely below.
According to both creators, these methods removed stick marks, created a slightly crisper sound without being too sharp, and also didn’t deteriorate the cymbals in any way.
For those that don’t want to watch the step-by step videos, essentially apply the ketchup to your debris-free high hat surface, lightly scrub with a toothbrush or similar utensil, leave on the surface for roughly 30 minutes, then simply rinse with water and dry with a lint-free cloth before reassembling.
Similarly, the apple cider cleaning process only requires a sponge and the vinegar mixture. Wash off your cymbal with water, pour the cider into a small container, dip the sponge into the cider, and then use the soft side of the sponge to rub it into the top of your high hat evenly. Once all finger and stick marks are gone, wash off your high hat once more with water and let it dry before putting it back on your kit.
Although these ways may seem a bit risky, most of the forums online say that this is one of the more effective ways to remove stick and finger marks without losing that vintage or used sound.
‘High Hats’ or ‘Hi-Hats’: Is There a Difference?
Now that your high hat is clean and ready to return to your full drum set, let’s move to one of the most commonly asked high hat questions on the internet. While some drummers use ‘high hat’ and others use ‘hi-hat’, is there really a difference and does it actually matter which version you use?
To be frank, both spellings are completely acceptable, they refer to the same thing, and it shouldn’t matter in the slightest which you choose. The origin of the high hat comes from the sock cymbal which then transformed into a cymbal mounted on a short stand was originally referred to as a ‘low-boy’. These cymbals were not originally a part of the average drum set but, once the cymbals were mounted to a longer stand with a pedal, they became what we now refer to as the ‘high hat’ or ‘hi-hat’, becoming the status quo for drummers worldwide.
In short, ‘high hat’ is nothing more than a nod to its origins and far shorter previous versions. Therefore, whether you refer to them as ‘high hats’ or ‘hi-hats’, you’re right!
In Conclusion
Now that your high hats are clean and in pristine condition, it’s time to take them for a test drive and play your heart out knowing you’ve taken good care of one of the most integral parts of your drum set.
If you’d like to add some shine to your newly cleaned high hats, we recommend Zildjian’s Cymbal Polish. For a comprehensive list of cleaning supplies that serve your drum and cymbal needs perfectly, feel free to also check out our recommended drum supplies today!
