Read all warnings and prepare containers of water, etc. before starting.
Remove and disassemble all slides and valves, remembering how they go back together.
Take the body of the tuba and set it on top of a towel in a bath-tub full of warm, not hot, water and a little mild, non-abrasive soap. Rub gently with a washcloth to remove all yucky stuff. If you have to pick the tuba up during cleaning be very careful because it's heavy when full of water.
Get a strong person to help you carefully rotate the tuba head over heels,so to speak, to get all the water out and then let it air-dry on a soft bath towel.
Place all slides in the soapy water, while it's drying. Rub gently with wet paper towels to clean. Clean the insides of them with the snake. Rinse them in the clean water then dry off with a paper towel and set them somewhere safe.
Put all parts of the valves in the soapy water and clean with wet paper towel. 'Do not put the felt or rubber bumpers (which are very easily replaced if need be) and any other parts that aren't metal into the water. Rinse in normal water and dry with more paper towels. Don't use the snake through those little holes in the valves.
Allow all parts to dry. When all parts of your tuba (or other brass piston instrument), including the body, are completely dry, reassemble the valves. Put a few drops of valve oil around the top of them and twist them back in to place on the tuba.
Prepare to insert the slides. Before putting the slides back in, put a small amount of slide grease on the part that goes inside the tuba and rub on with a paper towel, not your finger remember, and wipe off any excess. Then slide back into place on tuba and re-tune before you next play.
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