While windchimes are meant to withstand mother nature through most of the year, they are not built to be entirely indestructible, especially in extreme weather. For example, these ornate pieces can grow mold and algae over time with persistent wet weather during harsher months.
Even wind chimes made from natural and sustainable products will be susceptible to the natural aging process. To keep your chime looking as good as new, you'll need to provide added weather protection and other simple maintenance tips.
In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know about the proper care and cleaning of wind chimes.
Before we get into the details of cleaning your wind chime, it's important to touch on some of the basic materials you'll need. Thankfully, cleaning a chime is not only relatively simple, but the primary materials you'll need to periodically clean your chime, which you likely already have at home.
One of the first materials you will need is a damp cloth or paper towel. You can use your cloth to occasionally wipe your chime without a heavy cleaning. Wood parts periodically need wiping more often than other materials, like powder coated tubes or other weather protected materials.
Any soft cloth will work well. What's important is that you use a clean cloth to wipe your chime down to help clean and protect it. A damp cloth is safe, even for everything from rust finish steel elements in metal chimes to bamboo chimes.
You'll also want a mild detergent and water when it comes to cleaning your wind chime. In some instances, you may be able to use a window cleaner, but you'll want to check and make sure it is safe with the materials of your wind chime first. If you're not sure, refer to our detailed list below.
Now, it's time to move on to cleaning your chime. Here, we'll detail the different materials and what to use to ensure you preserve your chime without damaging any piece of it.
Metal chimes will need special attention to avoid any rusting. Woodstock Chimes are popular options known as the original musical tuned chime. While Woodstock Chimes and other similar chimes are top of the line, even these require cleanings. To help preserve your Woodstock Chimes, you can follow the steps below. Remember that even Woodstock Chime will fall victim to environmental factors.
You don't have to worry about anodized aluminum chimes tubes rusting, thankfully. But, when placed outdoors, this material is prone to naturally pit. To restore its original shiny finish, you can use fine steel wool for wiped clean quality control. Many chimes are made of aluminum tubes, so follow these cleaning instructions if yours is, too.
Any brass parts of your wind chime can be cleaned with a cleaner specifically designed to treat brass. Be careful that you keep this cleaner to brass only, though, as it can be an abrasive cleaner. Otherwise, you can opt to naturally age the brass as you please.
Bamboo occur in nature and is a popular chime material. While sometimes mistaken for wood, bamboo is a type of grass. Bamboo expands and contracts as it is extremely sensitive to sudden changes in temperature. Cracks in bamboo occur and are not out of the norm. Hairline cracks generally will not disrupt a bamboo chime or its sound.
Even the highest quality bamboo chime, such as Asli Arts bamboo chimes, is prone to build up, which is why you should use a damp cloth with mild soap to remove any. Varnish can also help to protect from build up in the future.
Bamboo Wind Chimes Outdoor - Compared with metal wind chimes, these bamboo wind chimes have more natural and relaxing sounds. The gentle melody of bamboo wind chimes deep tone, complementing and mimicking the natural sound around you, can be the perfect addition to your backyard or window. - Add Soothing Atmosphere to Your Garden
