I pulled this blog post from the archives because I think it’s a great reminder on some easy things we can do to help slow the progression of pesky tarnish on our beautiful instruments. I get a lot of questions asking about how to prevent buildup and tarnish, especially in those hard-to-reach areas, as well as questions about how I keep the shop instruments so shiny. Read on for answers to those questions and more. “My flute just isn’t as shiny as it used to be!!” We all know how frustrating it is to see our meticulously-maintained instruments starting to develop discoloration, especially in those pesky hard to reach places. This week, I wanted to talk a little bit about things that can be done to help put the brakes on this issue.Unfortunately, the development of tarnish, which is a chemical reaction that occurs on silver or even silver-plated items, is an inevitable reality for flute players. Exposure to the air, materials in a case, and contact with the skin all cause gradual discoloration of the metal. Small things such as the glue used to hold a case together can even cause this to occur. The good news is there