Herco HE185 Spitballs (x18) for brass maintenance

Good product for interim cleaning

I used the Spitballs for cleaning my trumpet. To start with they come out blackened which is satisfying and they are fun to use. It was alarming when one got stuck and needed pushing out with the cleaning brush. Also there are no instructions to say if you should use them with the valves down or not?

Bought these to try out for interim cleaning of my flugelhorn. I give it a really good stripped down clean and soak every 4 weeks but I want to take good care of my courtois so thought it was maybe worth a try.I've used 4 times and can honestly say that even when approaching the time when I would normally do a thorough clean, the ball showed some dirt, but not really enough to justify the risk of what happened on 2 of the 4 times, and that is the ball getting stuck. Fortunately, it wasn't badly stuck but enough to raise my pulse a little and begin the process of working out what I might have to do. (I DID use them with all valves down, otherwise there really is no point: its the slides which are actually the hardest parts to clean with their tight bends.)Honestly, save your money and get into a good cleaning routine: even if they never stuck, these would be little more to me than a curiosity, a bit of a gimmick.

Great product! These are best used on an already clean horn to maintain condition. I put one through after every practice session and then take out the slides to dry them. This means that the horn stays fairly clean between baths. If the horn is already very dirty it's probably not wise to put these through without cleaning first or they might get stuck.

Did a brilliant job of cleaning my sons cornet and he really enjoyed using them as it was fun

I bought another lot and about buy a third, so I believe that they work!

Could not believe the gunge that came out of my trombone, and after I cleaned it with a cleaning rod!

Very useful