Cleaning an old trombone

[lucky]

I recently got a ~40 yr old Bach 42B. It plays and sounds great but its been sitting in its case for a really long time so it has fingerprints and smudges and stuff really baked onto it. It just kinda bothers me and I’d like it to look more shiny and new-ish. What is the best way I can go about cleaning it to return it to its former glory? I’ve already tried giving it a bath and stuff which didn’t work as Id hoped.

[ChapRick]

Sounds like you are mainly talking about the exterior looks. I have used Lemon Pledge to shine up a horn and that is recommended by many instrument repair people. But if you want it to look like new you can have it professionally polished and re-laquered (and remove any dents/scratches....if there are any). That is probably fairly expensive, and will do nothing to significantly improve the sound quality. I'm sure there will be a lot more ideas and I too would like to hear them.

[Mamaposaune]

If it's worn lacquer you're concerned about, something like Wrights or Flitz brass polish will remove the tarnish, furniture or car wax will help keep it shiny.
I'd be more concerned about getting the inside cleaned out, especially if it sat locked in the case for years without being cleaned first and stored dry.
A bath with warm water and detergent will have gotten any loose crud out, but if you see any green corrosion inside the tuning slides, or heavy tarnish on the inside of the outer slide, it really should get professionally cleaned.
Or, if you have the time and patience, you can do it yourself with a vinegar soak and brass polish. Lots of instruction here on the trombone chat, just do a search.

[Posaunus]

If it's worn lacquer you're concerned about, something like Wrights or Flitz brass polish will remove the tarnish, furniture or car wax will help keep it shiny.

In my experience, some brass polishes (e.g., Brasso) will remove lacquer, not just tarnish. Be very careful!

To maintain and protect a decent finish, I've used Eagle One NanoWax, but I've learned that this product has been discontinued, so hard to find whatever's left over in stores or on line. It's a great product - I also use it on my custom wood kitchen cabinets.