The care of the handpan, also called hang drum, is the reason why ZenaPan has chosen to manufacture stainless steel handpans. We explain why.
Caring for a nitrided handpan is difficult
You can read a lot of advice on the internet about ‘how to care for your handpan’. The problem is that, in the case of nitrided steel, it all depends on the workshop where your instrument has seen the light of day.
Why is that? Because the nitriding conditions are not set by international standards. This means that each workshop uses its own nitriding process. The heat and the exposure time of the instrument to nitrogen vary from one manufacturer to another, making it more or less porous and less resistant to oxidation.
Therefore, giving general advice on the care of a nitrided handpan can lead to disaster. Some oils are unsuitable for your instrument, while others are so good that they can change the sound quality of your handpan.
Before applying anything to your nitrided steel handpan, you should contact the manufacturer to find out which products you can use to care for this beautiful instrument.
How do you care for a stainless steel handpan?
A stainless steel handpan is much easier to maintain, as it is much less prone to rust. The fact that it has not undergone a thermochemical nitriding process also prevents it from becoming more or less porous.
For maintenance you will need :
- A soft cloth,
- A rough sponge (like the one used for washing dishes),
- A microfibre cloth or chamois,
- Alcohol,
- A protective oil.
Step 1: Use the soft cloth
First, wipe the instrument with a soft cloth to remove any grease and moisture left on your hands.
This step prepares your instrument to receive the protective oil, which should only be applied if your instrument does not yet show signs of rust. If not, go directly to step 4.
Step 2: Use a sponge to scrape it off
If your handpan only has small rust marks, it is not always a good idea to resort to the big remedies right away.
The first solution you should prefer is to use the green side of the sponge you use for rinsing, the famous scraping side.
Those who are familiar with stainless steel balls, which are often used for pots whose bottom is burnt, should never use them on their instrument. They would damage it permanently.
To use the scraping side of the sponge correctly, make small circular movements without applying too much force. The secret is to be gentle. If the rust is too deep, you can move on to step 3.
Step 3: Use alcohol
It goes without saying that the alcohol to use is 70º or 90º household alcohol. To apply it, soak a soft cloth in alcohol and then apply it to both sides of the handpan, paying attention also to the seam of the two metal domes.
Alcohol is used because it is less corrosive than water, removes ions from the surface better and removes rust that has already formed.
Step 4: Apply the protective oil
The purpose of the protective oil is to protect the metal from the handpan by forming a film between the air and the metal that prevents the redox process.
Rust is produced by the combination of iron, oxygen and water. The removal of any of these compounds will prevent the steel from rusting.
However, each handpan requires an oil recommended by the manufacturer to match the particularities of the steel and the manufacturing process used.
You can apply the oil with a soft cloth and leave it for a few minutes.
Step 5: Remove the excess with a microfibre cloth or chamois
The last step in the care of your Handpan is to remove excess oil. There are two techniques available for this:
- Use a microfibre cloth,
- Use a chamois cloth.
In both cases, you can use these cloths to collect the excess oil. The chamois has the advantage of making your instrument shine much more than a simple microfibre cloth.
Tip: For even more shine, you can use used socks that you just use to rub the surface of your instrument. This will give it an incredible shine.
When you order your handpan from ZenaPan, you will receive a special cloth to clean your instrument.