hi guys, my new bluebird is starting to tarnish on the top 3 holes, what is the best solution to either stop this happening or to keep it at bay, thanx in advance
I don’t. Many people prefer that patina that forms on a brass tube.
I just bought a couple of [u]these cloths[/u] this week. It works great, but they appear to have just raised the price because when I bought them earlier this week, they were only $4.95.
That’s the whistle equivalent of “street cred”. It shows that you “play” that whistle. Let it be. Let it develop. And after some time the rest of the whistle will tarnish and the holes should look to be a bit brighter because of your constant playing. I wouldn’t let it grow into “street crud” though. Just my opinion.
Feadoggie
Display it in a hermetically sealed case and don’t ever play it!
+1 
When I first started playing, the patina bothered me too. Now I subscribe to the “let it go” theory since I agree with the others who’ve posted above.
However, I do find that some instruments come with a coating or varnish of some kind that causes a really weird and unpleasant patina to occur, so I do still polish most coated brass instruments when I first take them out of the box , then I let them develop a patina that is nice and even. Of course that little shine that develops around the holes is part of the aforementioned “street cred”.
My nephew plays a brass cornet which he keeps in pristine condition by polishing it constantly.
So to answer your question, if you still want them to shine, buy some “nevr dull” (probably toxic - made from petroleum) scrub the outside of the tube for two or three minutes, then use a strong detergent and hot water solution to quickly wash the outside, windway and tube, then blow out the instrument and wipe down the outside with a soft cloth. I use microfiber towels for this.
If you want it to stay this way, buy Renaissance Wax (also probably somewhat toxic and made from petroleum although they deny toxicity), wipe it on, let it sit for a few minutes until dry, then buff with the same soft cloth.
This will keep the finish for a few months, then you’ll have to do it all over again.
Some folks will use jewelers rouge or other metal polishes with a buffer of some sort. But they are more work and don’t last any longer IMHO.
You’ll start loving patina after doing this a few times too. 
ecohawk
This is unrelated a bit, but has anyone had allergic reactions to brass?
I think I’m having a reaction to my Gen D. 
There’s a very dry patch on my left hand thumb where the whistle rests and my fingertips have been very sensitive.
Is there a way to prevent this? My nickel whistle doesn’t seem to cause such a reaction so maybe I’ll just have to put the Gen away. 
Swap the brass body for a nickel plated one? I might be interested… and I can probably almost see your house from here on a clear day.
thanx for the replies guys, i’ll just let it develop into street cred, problem is that i can’t stop playing it, what a beautiful instrument for so little bucks, i am going to wear the nickel away at this rate anyway, @ Dr Phil as the crow flies you are not too far away, love somerset beautiful part of the country
If you otherwise like that Gen brass, you could try coating the back of the tube with clear nail polish, or maybe some Scotch tape.
If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone in having a musical instrument allergy:
You could buy wooden whistles.
Waltons tend to be notorious for the coating coming off-- mine started to within a day or two. Eventually though I’d worn off everything around the holes and it doesn’t peel anymore.
I suppose you could remove tarnish with ketchup, but I would think you’d have to do it often and eventually it might be detrimental to whistle?
(I’m not allergic to brass but I hate the way it smells-- and then of course my hands smell like brass. Ew. I won’t lie, I sometimes wash my hands after practicing! Just a weird thing.)
Just to be clear …
This is a nickel plated whistle.
It’s unusual, but not unheard of, for nickel plating to tarnish. It’s a matter of different body chemistries affecting the metal differently. As others have said, most consider it a badge of honor for a whistle to show it’s been played a lot, and therefore don’t try to remove the tarnish or polish the metal.
Best wishes,
Jerry
Whoops. My bad. I just assumed it was the Eb since I’ve not encountered any significant patina on my nickel whistles. Thanks for the reminder Jerry. I’d still leave it alone.
ecohawk
my tarnished holes will become badges of honour
Mine too, I thought it was a brass one…
Reminds me of a Tommy Cooper joke…
'Doc, I can’t stop singing the green green grass of home.
‘That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome’.
‘Is it common?’
‘It’s not unusual.’
Perhaps washing your hands before playing would help. I’ve heard that tip for guitarists who tarnish strings.
Life is too short to worry about whistle tarnish. It’s a lot more fun to play the whistle than to polish it, which becomes a never ending exercise. Accept the tarnish, embrace it, keep playing.
I bow to the masters of the double-entendres!