Woodstock Chimes Product Care Guide

Most Woodstock Chimes are designed for indoor or outdoor use. Chimes should be brought in during extreme weather or harsh winters. How much care your product requires depends on where you live and its amount of exposure to the elements. All musically tuned Woodstock Chimes with aluminum tubes come with a lifetime tuning guarantee. To maintain your chime, we recommend the following:

Aluminum Tubes, Plastic, Stone and Glass Parts

Woodstock Chimes tubes are made of aluminum that will not rust when exposed to the elements. However, over time, the aluminum may naturally pit or oxidize when placed outdoors, but the sound is not affected. The tubes and other noted parts may be cleaned with a damp cloth, mild soap and water.

Wood Parts

We care about the environment and so use an eco-friendly water-based wood finish. This necessitates additional care for wood parts. Use a clean cloth or brush to periodically apply a thin coat of wood wax or exterior Danish, teak or lemon oil to the wood parts. Regular oiling will help protect the wood from drying and slow the natural aging process. We also suggest applying a thin coat of exterior varnish to the chime wood parts each spring.

After extensive testing, we recommend using Wood Butter on your chime's wood parts. This eco-friendly product is made in America and available online from The Bearded Chef (www.tbchef.com). Use promotion code WOODSTOCK20 to receive 20% off your first order!

Resin and Rust-Finish Elements

Resin and rust-finish steel elements should be wiped clean with a duster or damp cloth.

Copper and Brass Parts

Copper and brass parts can be cleaned with cleaner designed for copper and/or brass, or it can be left to naturally age and patina. Gongs and plated elements can be wiped with a duster or dry cloth.

Crystal Suncatchers and Products with Crystal Accents

Dip crystals in a cup of water and allow them to air dry.

Bamboo Chimes

All Asli Arts bamboo windchimes are made using natural and sustainable products such as bamboo and coconut shell. Each is hand-carved and hand-tuned by artisans in Bali. With proper care, your Asli Arts bamboo chime will typically last from 3-4 years when hung outside.

To extend the life of your chime:

Hang your chime in an area protected from direct sunlight or heavy winds. Excellent locations include under a porch overhang or in a shady tree.
Bring your chimes in during extreme weather or windstorms.
If you live in the north, bring your chimes in during the harsh winter months and store it in an unheated area, such as a shed or garage.
Occasionally wipe off your chimes with a damp cloth to remove any build-up or mold.
Every spring, provide added weather protection by applying a coat of varnish on your chime (you’ll want to wipe off the chime before doing this!)

We have taken a number of precautions to ensure our Asli Arts bamboo chimes are the highest quality bamboo chime in the marketplace. Our manufacturers produce only for us, allowing us to ensure a high standard of quality control. In addition, our manufacturers harvest their bamboo only during the best time of year and properly dry the bamboo before making the chimes, both of which reduce the risk of cracks in the bamboo. Finally, all Asli Arts chimes are inspected before they leave our U.S. warehouse.

Bamboo is sensitive to humidity and sudden temperature changes. Despite all our precautions, infrequently, cracks in bamboo occur as the bamboo expands and contracts in reaction to climate changes. Hairline cracks are not of concern; they are normal to bamboo and will not affect the sound of your chimes. What’s more, hairline cracks generally do not develop into larger cracks.

To clean Woodstock Music Collection instruments, we suggest wiping with a damp cloth. If desired, a mild detergent such as dishwashing soap can be used.

Please note: if you are a day care provider, school or other institution you should adhere to the cleaning and sanitizing regulations of the state in which you are licensed.

Musical instruments should never be immersed in water or cleaned in a dishwasher, as this can damage the internal parts or compromise the integrity of the materials. Most sanitizing wipes and disinfectant sprays contain harsh chemicals and solvents. While they are fine for occasional cleaning of your instrument, repeated use such as daily cleaning, as well as the use of commercial cleaners, chemicals and solvents must be avoided, as these compounds could compromise the plastic components of your musical instrument.

Chimalongs

Your Chimalong tubes are made of anodized aluminum. If necessary, use mild soap and water (or a foaming, non-abrasive cleanser) to clean your Chimalong. You can use this to clean the wood parts on the Chimalong XR and the plastic case of the Chimalong Deluxe. Take care not to get the foam chime holders or the Mini Chimalong's songbook or stand wet when you clean the instrument.

Drums

To prevent damage to the drumheads, avoid exposing drums with natural drumheads to extreme temperature and humidity. Natural drumheads can be wiped with a damp (not wet) cloth. Solvents and soaps should not be used on natural drumheads.

Remo drums feature their patented Fiberskyn drumheads. These synthetic drumheads produce wonderful tone and can be cleaned using a wet cloth.

Stringed Instruments

Here are the simple but important things you need to do to keep your Woodstock Music Collection stringed instrument in good working condition for many years to come.

When you are not using it, protect your instrument by keeping it in its cardboard box or a case if you have one.
Never leave the instrument near a heater, radiator, stove or other source of extreme heat. Never leave it outside in winter or in a very cold room either. If you take it in a car, don't leave it in the trunk on a hot day or a very cold day. These things can cause the wood of the instrument to warp or crack.
If your instrument gets dirty you can wipe it with a slightly damp (not wet) cloth or ask a grown-up for help in polishing it.

Plastic Shakers

For general cleaning of Woodstock Music Collection egg and maraca shakers, we suggest wiping with a damp cloth containing a non-solvent based cleaner.

To disinfect egg and maraca shakers, we recommend the use of a bleach application referenced by the New York State Office of Children & Family Services in the NYS Family Day Care Provider Handbook.

The surface of the shaker should be sprayed with a solution containing 1/2 teaspoon household bleach to 1 quart water, then immediately wiped dry with a cloth or paper towel. Always label your spray bottle with the contents, and keep out of reach of children.

Please note: if you are a day care provider, school or other institution you should adhere to the cleaning and sanitizing regulations of the state in which you are licensed.

Woodstock Music Collection shakers should not be immersed in water or cleaned in a dishwasher. Most sanitizing wipes and disinfectant sprays contain harsh chemicals and solvents. The use of commercial cleaners, chemicals and solvents must be avoided, as these compounds will compromise the plastic components of our shaker products.