Cleaning Paiste Cymbals - Alternate Methods?

yammyfan

Senior Member
It looks like the official Paiste cleaner is disappearing from the market. Everywhere that I've checked says "discontinued product".

Yikes!! I've got a grimy 18" crash to clean. I like my cymbals to sparkle.

Is there another product that gently cleans tarnish and fingerprints from Paiste cymbals? I know better than to use Groove Juice on them even though it works incredibly well on my Zildjians.

Thanks!
 
So far I've heard success stories using liquid Barkeeper's Friend and Twinkle for copper. Has anybody used either of these on Paistes?

I might try Sabian's "Safe and Sound" cleaner too.
 
Why clean them? They look better showing their use. Who wants to be the OCD dude with the shiny new-looking cymbals?

lol... I do!! I like 'em looking new, even after a couple of years of daily use:

20191005_143501.jpg

The thing is, my Paistes are all brand-new except for one and it has a grimy ring of fingerprints and crud around the edge. It looks VERY out of place compared to the new cymbals.
 
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Check out Awesome. It cleans everything and anything, and is non-abrasive. You get it at the dollar store. Seriously, the stuff will take blood out of fabric. It really is Awesome!
 
Noooooo! I've been using this stuff since the 80s! It's my favorite. I have about 1.5 bottles left that I guess will have to go into the safe,
 
The thing about Paiste cymbals is that you are cleaning a coat of more or less paint and not cleaning metal.
 
It looks like the official Paiste cleaner is disappearing from the market. Everywhere that I've checked says "discontinued product".

Yikes!! I've got a grimy 18" crash to clean. I like my cymbals to sparkle.

Is there another product that gently cleans tarnish and fingerprints from Paiste cymbals? I know better than to use Groove Juice on them even though it works incredibly well on my Zildjians.

Thanks!
I have the exact same problem, hunting Paiste cleaner and protector for a year now. I found a bottle of each during my stay in Tokyo, but it was incredibly expensive and I wasn't sure if I could get it on the plane (chemicals...). I talked to Paiste directly twice now and they told it will come back at some point. I'll wait with cleaning my cymbals until then...
 
Are the Paiste, Sabian, Zildjian cymbal cleaner/polishes basically the same???
 
Are the Paiste, Sabian, Zildjian cymbal cleaner/polishes basically the same???

I believe that the Paiste cleaner is/was more gentle than the others.

I'm going to try the 'Awesome' brand cleaner as suggested by MrInsanePolack as well as Sabian's Safe and Sound cleaner. I'm concerned about stripping off the protective finish. I'll use the Paiste protectant on them afterwards.
 
Check out Awesome. It cleans everything and anything, and is non-abrasive. You get it at the dollar store. Seriously, the stuff will take blood out of fabric. It really is Awesome!

I found these at the dollar store. Do you think that one will be better suited than the other?

I'm a bit concerned about the "fresh paint" and "varnish" cleaning properties of the concentrate on the right. Guess I'll test it on a portion of the cymbal first, highly diluted.

Update: neither one made much of a difference, even applied full-strength. Back to the drawing board!

20191018_125812.jpg
 
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I found these at the dollar store. Do you think that one will be better suited than the other?

I'm a bit concerned about the "fresh paint" and "varnish" cleaning properties of the concentrate on the right. Guess I'll test it on a portion of the cymbal first, highly diluted.

Update: neither one made much of a difference, even applied full-strength. Back to the drawing board!

View attachment 88041

Wow I'm shocked. My wife cleans everything with it. Those must be some hard core fingerprints.
 
When I bought vintage cymbals this past winter, I did a lot of research. . .ketchup, Coke, lemons, vinegar. . .were all suggestions.

I personally CLEANED them with lemons and white vinegar. IT DOES NOT POLISH. But cleans them nicely. I used Zildjian polish after. Honestly, I wasn't impressed. Maybe some serious buffing (after leaving the Zildjian polish on longer), would work better. I was worried about losing logos on the cymbals that still actually had logos.
 
Drummers Hangout in Aurora, Ontario Canada has stock.
I also believe Drumland in Vaughan , Ontario Canada has stock as well.

Both would be happy to ship
 
Wow I'm shocked. My wife cleans everything with it. Those must be some hard core fingerprints.

They were. Pretty much a black ring all around the edge of the cymbal. :(

Anyway, I cleaned the crash with alternating cycles of Zildjian polish, Awesome cleaner and Dawn and that reduced the look of the black ring by about 85%. I'm happy with the result. I applied Paiste Protector afterwards and called it a day.

I have to keep in mind that these are my "B" cymbals. There was just too much contrast between the old one and the new.
 
I bought a used pair of Paiste 2002 hi-hats that very clearly tarnished and cruddy. A previous owner rubbed and scrubbed so hard that the painted logo on the top cymbal is gone.

Following on advice from others online, I used painters' tape and simply spread Bar Keepers Friend Soft Cleanser on one side of this top hi-hat for 15 minutes - no rubbing and no scrubbing. The tarnished side is on the left. The cleaned side is on the right.

The improvement is impossible to ignore. I am now exploring lightly applying a protective layer of furniture polish.
 

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