How to Clean a Tibetan Singing Bowl?

Tibetan Singing bowls are an integral part of Buddhist culture and tradition. They get played at various religious ceremonies, meditation practices, and during the call of prayers. However, these days singing bowls have become a trend of sorts and are incredibly popular. 

Nowadays, these singing bowls and their calming sound are commonly used in music therapy, sound healing, yoga, meditation, and others. These traditional bowls have many healing and medicinal properties. Therefore, one should keep the cleanliness of the singing bowl at a high priority. 

Moreover, you should always wipe your singing bowls with a soft cloth after use to keep the dust away. A singing bowl covered in dust will react with the metals and lose some of its sonic sparkle. A clean cloth is ideal as anything stronger than cloth can damage the original patina.

Furthermore, you should not use any harmful chemicals like bleach, soda, orange juice, or coke as it may wreck the singing bowl. The metals in the singing bowl react with the chemical components and can damage the bowl. If you play singing bowls with water, make sure to use distilled water and dry them promptly after use. 

Read further for some valuable tips and methods on how to clean a Tibetan singing bowl.

How to Clean a Singing Bowl?

Antique singing bowls look their best when they are free of stains, and other disfigurements. A systematic cleaning process is essential to remove the dirt, and patina acquired over the years. 

Similarly, cleaning will make these Tibetan singing bowls brighter, shinier, and they will even sound better. But you should make sure to not erase your bowl’s history, its life-story, and antiquity by over scrubbing. 

Cleaning Methods for a Tibetan Singing Bowl

Wiping the bowl with a soft cloth

The first method to keep your singing bowl in good shape is to wipe the bowl with a soft cloth. It will remove dust from the bowls. To remove stubborn fingerprints, you can use a wet paper towel. You should not forget to dry off the bowl to prevent water stains after every use.

Using hot water to clean stains

In this method, you can fill the singing bowl with hot water, with soap and leave overnight to remove stubborn dirt. Thus, you can remove stubborn dirt stuck to the bowl’s surface. You can rinse it with clean water the next day. Additionally, you should dry the bowl with a soft cloth after rinsing. This method is only advisable to remove stains from the singing bowls.

Where to Store a Tibetan Singing Bowl?

Regular cleaning of the bowls helps to remove any dirt on the bowl’s surface. However, the storage method of the bowl also affects the condition of the bowl. The bowl will corrode if kept in dust and dirt. Therefore, you must maintain the good condition of the bowl.

Firstly, you can keep the Tibetan bowl above a cotton cloth. This way you can prevent the singing bowl from contacting the base of the surface. You can keep bowls in a clear view of a glass door so that you can observe the condition of the bowls and clean it if necessary.

8 Tips to Clean a Tibetan Singing Bowl 

Make sure the bowl remains dry

Singing bowls with water is a great way to heighten or change the sound. But you should use only distilled water as other waters may react with unknown chemicals and different metals. Also, never leave singing bowls with water for more than a day, to avoid water stains. Hence, you should always dry the singing bowls when used along with water. 

Do not use any strong and harmful chemicals

You should keep any harmful chemicals like bleach, soda, Windex, orange juice, and any other concentrated or acidic liquids. If you keep your singing bowls alongside these chemicals, a chemical reaction will occur with the metals. It will oxidize and tarnish metals ruining the tone and harmony of these singing bowls.

Remove dust particles regularly

You should not let dust sit on your singing bowl for long. The dust may include dead skin, toxic chemicals from around your house. These elements can damage the bowl’s look and sound. Hence, you should remove the dust regularly from the singing bowls.

Watch for finger stains

Our fingers produce natural oils which make stain marks in the singing bowls. Hence, it becomes necessary to clean them properly. So, while cleaning these bowls you must clean those areas where you touch frequently.

Keep it at upright position

The Tibetan singing bowls get handcrafted using ancient techniques. If you flip it on its side, or upside down, changes may occur in the rim that could impact the sound of these bowls. Therefore, the singing bowls should always be safely placed in an upright position.

Do not scrub aggressively

The finish and design of the Tibetan singing bowls make them unique. If you are not careful and scrub hard, you might damage the finish of the singing bowls. Similarly, using salt, baking soda, can scratch your bowl.

Keep away from direct sunlight

While it’s okay playing the singing bowl outside, you must make sure not to leave these bowls in the sun. If you are playing these bowls outside, make sure to reserve a space in the shade to protect its finish from the harsh rays of the sun.

Handle carefully

A singing bowl might survive a drop, but you should avoid repeatedly dropping it. This might change the surface of the rim and impact the sound of these bowls. If they are not handled with care, they might have cracks, which will completely ruin the look and sound of the singing bowl.

The Final Say

Cleaning a Tibetan singing bowl is necessary to remove dirt, grime, and other residues. But you must ensure that you use the right method to clean. You must try to keep the singing bowls in good condition at all times.

Moreover, you should not disrespectfully scour these sacred singing bowls. This will remove all of its character and antiquity. I hope this article helped you to learn more about how to clean a Tibetan singing bowl in detail. You can use the tips and methods presented above to keep your singing bowls clean and in a good condition.

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