Care For Your Drum
Learn How To Care For Your African Drum
Transport and Exposure
Although your drum is very durable you should avoid exposing it to the elements (direct sunlight, extreme heat or cold, dampness, rain, snow, etc.). Also avoid rapidly moving the drum from one heat or humidity extreme to another. If you need to take your djembe to a different altitude always loosen it a bit to relieve tension and to avoid breaking the skin.
Never keep your djembe drum in a cold environment
Such as the boot of your car or in your garage overnight. The skin will shrink very slightly in the cold conditions and will loose the sharpness in it's sound. Keep your djembe drum indoors.
Cleaning
Your djembe may be cleaned with a damp cloth, but don't apply cleansing agents or other cleaning tools. Avoid playing with dirty hands or leaving your drum exposed to sand or soil.
Maintenance
Under normal circumstances your djembe skin does not require any oils or leather treatment to keep it in shape; the oil from your hands should be sufficient. As wood tends to dry out over time, we recommend keeping it hydrated periodically using linseed oil, palm oil, or coconut oil. You should not need to do this more than once a year at most.
About Cracks
Small line cracks along the top and bottom edge of a drum are normal, as they appear during wood drying process.