Handpan Care & Maintenance

A handpan is not merely an instrument — it is a living object of steel that breathes with its environment. Nitrided steel (Ember Steel), the material used in all Enixpan handpans, is naturally resistant to corrosion thanks to its nitride surface layer. But no steel is completely immune to the effects of sweat, moisture, and neglect. A few simple habits, repeated consistently, are all that stands between a handpan that sings beautifully for thirty years and one that develops rust patches within months.

This guide covers everything you need to know — from what to do after every session to what to do if rust does appear.

Why Maintenance Matters

Handpans are made from nitrided steel (sometimes called Ember Steel or stainless steel depending on the maker). The nitriding process creates a surface layer that resists corrosion — but that protection is not absolute, and it does not last forever without care.

Human sweat contains salt, acids, and micro-organisms that gradually attack the steel surface. After every session, a thin film of sweat remains on the contact areas — the Ding, the frequently played tone fields, the rim of the shell. Left unwiped, this sweat oxidises and starts the rusting process within a few days to a few weeks, depending on the ambient humidity.

Ambient humidity is the other critical factor. A handpan stored in a damp room — a cellar, an unheated garage, a bathroom — without regular protection can develop rust spots even without heavy use.

The good news: a full clean after each session takes less than five minutes, and monthly oiling takes 10 to 15. Those few minutes can save you hundreds of euros in repairs or re-tuning, and preserve an instrument that cost you well over €1,000.

After Each Playing Session

This is the single most important habit you can build. Every time you play, your hands deposit sweat, oils, and microscopic particles onto the steel surface. Left uncleaned, these accelerate oxidation — especially in warm or humid climates. The good news is that the remedy takes less than two minutes.

Monthly Maintenance — Coconut Oil

Beyond the daily wipe-down, your handpan needs a periodic oil treatment to replenish the protective layer on the steel surface. This is the step most new owners neglect — and it is the one that matters most for long-term rust prevention.

Fractionated coconut oil is the gold standard for handpan maintenance. It is food-safe, odourless, light enough not to leave a sticky residue, and it does not affect tuning. It absorbs cleanly into the steel without pooling, and its natural fatty acid composition provides excellent corrosion protection.

How to apply coconut oil

1. Make sure the handpan surface is clean and dry before starting.
2. Apply a few drops of fractionated coconut oil to a clean microfibre cloth — not directly onto the instrument.
3. Work the oil across the entire surface in small circular motions, covering all tonal fields, the Ding, and the gu.
4. Wait 3–5 minutes for the oil to penetrate the steel.
5. Buff off all excess with a second clean, dry cloth. The surface should look barely treated — matte and slightly satin, not shiny or greasy.

Recommended Products

The choice of oil is not trivial. Some products are excellent for a handpan; others can cause irreversible damage. Here is the complete list.

What to use

• Virgin coconut oil: the accessible standard. Natural, effective, unscented — ideally organic and additive-free. Available in pharmacies and health-food shops for a few euros, with antimicrobial properties as a bonus.
• Phoenix Oil: formulated specifically for handpans. Available from specialist retailers and the maker's website. Slightly more expensive, but optimised for nitrided steel.
• Froglube: originally an American product developed for firearm care. Very effective on steel and highly durable; applied the same way as other oils. Found on Amazon or in gun shops.
• Microfibre cloth: the indispensable tool — not an oil, but essential. Non-abrasive and highly absorbent. Wash it without fabric softener and it will last. Always keep two or three clean cloths on hand.

What to avoid completely

• Olive oil and cooking oils: they go rancid over time, leave a lingering smell, and can attract insects. Avoid even as a stopgap.
• Alcohol, acetone, white spirit: they permanently destroy the surface nitriding layer. Cleaning with alcohol can actually accelerate oxidation in the following weeks.
• Household cleaners: detergents, multi-surface sprays, degreasers — all too aggressive for nitrided steel, even the so-called "gentle" ones.
• Paper towels: abrasive despite appearances. Even light, repeated abrasion gradually scratches the surface. Always use a genuine microfibre cloth.

Protecting from Humidity & Heat

The two greatest environmental threats to your handpan are excessive humidity (which accelerates rust) and excessive heat (which can affect tuning stability). Both are easily managed with a few sensible habits.

Humidity

• Never store in a basement, bathroom, or any room that feels damp. Choose a dry, ventilated space — ideally somewhere with stable temperature and humidity.
• Consider silica gel sachets inside the bag. Small food-grade silica gel packets placed inside the handpan bag absorb ambient moisture and significantly extend the intervals between oil treatments. Replace or recharge them every 3–6 months.
• After playing outdoors in humid or rainy conditions, wipe the instrument thoroughly and let it air for 15–20 minutes before bagging it, to prevent moisture from being trapped inside the bag.

Heat

• Never leave your handpan in a car in summer. Interior car temperatures can exceed 70°C on a hot day — well above the threshold at which a handpan's tuning can begin to drift. Even an hour in a hot car can cause subtle but permanent pitch changes to the most sensitive tonal fields.
• Avoid prolonged direct sunlight. Playing outdoors in the sun for a short session is fine, but never leave the instrument sitting in direct sunlight between songs or during breaks.
• Allow the handpan to acclimatise before playing if it has been stored somewhere significantly colder or warmer than the room you are about to play in. Give it 15–30 minutes to reach ambient temperature — the steel will sound more stable.

Transporting Your Handpan

A handpan is a precision instrument that has been tuned note by note, often to within fractions of a Hz. Physical shocks can detune individual tonal fields, and the damage is not always immediately obvious — sometimes a hard impact causes a subtle loss of resonance that only becomes apparent weeks later.

• Always use the protective bag. Never transport a handpan in a bare carrier, a standard backpack, or wrapped in a towel. The padded bag designed for the instrument is not optional.
• Never stack objects on top of the bag. If the handpan is in the boot of a car, make sure nothing can fall or be placed on it during transit.
• Avoid checking the handpan as hold luggage on aeroplanes. Baggage handlers are not delicate, and the pressure and temperature changes in an aircraft hold are not ideal for a precision-tuned instrument. If you must fly with your handpan, carry it as cabin baggage whenever possible. If the instrument is too large for the overhead locker, contact the airline in advance to arrange special handling.
• On public transport, hold the bag between your legs or in your lap rather than in an overhead rack where it could fall.

What to Do If Rust Appears

Despite all precautions, rust can occasionally appear — particularly on instruments that have been stored in humid conditions or neglected for a period. The key is to act quickly: surface rust caught early is entirely treatable. Deep, pitting rust is a different matter.

Fine surface rust (orange tint, no pitting)

This is the most common type and is easily resolved at home:

1. Apply a small amount of fractionated coconut oil to the affected area.
2. Using 0000-grade (ultra-fine) steel wool, rub the rusted area gently in circular motions. Use minimal pressure — you are polishing, not sanding.
3. Wipe away the residue with a clean microfibre cloth.
4. Apply a fresh coat of coconut oil to the treated area and let it absorb for 5 minutes, then buff off.
5. Repeat if necessary, but in most cases a single treatment is sufficient.

Deep rust (pitting or flaking)

If the rust has penetrated below the surface of the nitrided layer — visible as pitting, flaking, or a rough texture that does not respond to light polishing — do not attempt to treat it yourself. At this stage, the structural integrity of the steel may be compromised, and aggressive treatment can worsen the damage. Contact a professional handpan maker or tuner for assessment. In some cases, light re-nitriding or professional polishing can restore the instrument; in severe cases, the affected tonal field may need to be re-tuned after treatment.

When to Call a Professional

Some situations go beyond what home care can fix. These cases call for a professional handpan tuner:

• Clearly out-of-tune notes — a noticeably "wrong" sound to the ear, or detected by a chromatic tuner (smartphone app). If a note sounds higher or lower than it should, professional tuning is needed.
• A direct impact on a note — a fall, a knock, or an accidental strike with a hard object. An impact on a tone field changes its local tension and almost always knocks it out of tune.
• Oxidation with deep pitting on the note areas — this may require surface treatment and re-tuning.
• Buzzing or parasitic vibrations — a hum or rattle that was not there before often signals a micro-deformation or a harmonic issue that needs professional expertise.
• Sharply reduced sustain for no obvious reason — if a note dies away faster than the others and it is not down to your technique, do not ignore it.

Indicative price: between €50 and €150 per note to re-tune, depending on the luthier, the complexity of the work, and your location. For a full instrument, expect €300 to €600 — which is exactly why prevention through regular care is so valuable.

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