Cleaning Santa’s Sleigh Bells

December 21, 2022

Cleaning Santa’s sleigh bells is something that Santa’s sleigh maintenance team does every year. You might recall that last year we were privileged to interview the head engineer on Santa’s sleigh maintenance team, Master Elf Quinton, Cleaning Santa’s Sleigh with BKF. This year Quinton and his team were too busy to sit down for an interview, but they did send us a copy of cleaning Santa’s brass sleigh bells from the Santa’s Elves Maintenance Manual, which we’ll be happy to share, but first what are sleigh bells?

Are They Sleigh Bells or Jingle Bells? 

The answer to, are they sleigh bells or jingle bells is yes, they’re called both, and they’re much more. 

Sleigh bells, also known as jingle bells, are many things. They’re a classical percussion instrument. The sleigh bells used in orchestration usually aren’t tuned to any note or key. However, Mozart did call for a specific note in the third of his German Dances, K 605.

Sleigh bells are often made of sheet metal with a small ball bearing inside to ring the bell. They go back as far as ancient Egypt and were for centuries attached to wagons, buggies, and sleighs to warn pedestrians of an approaching vehicle. Sleighs aren’t fast-stopping vehicles, so it’s good to know they’re coming.

Sleigh bells were once worn as a status symbol by the wealthy, while pagans used them to ward off evil spirits.

Santa initially added bells to his sleigh to let people know he was coming, but they’ve become a holiday tradition for over a century. What would Christmas be without sleigh bells on the corner, in the holiday concert, and of course, the song from 1857 that we all know and love, Jingle Bells!  

Cleaning Santa’s Brass Sleigh Bells 

From page 247 of the SEMM (Santa’s Elves Maintenance Manual.)

First, Gather the Following Supplies:

1. Powdered Cleanser
2. A smooth piece of textile. Nothing rough
3. A small vessel filled with water
4. A soft piece of weave to be used for shining

Next, Clean Santa’s Sleigh Bells  

1. Dip the bells in the vessel of water
2. Apply BKF Powdered Cleanser with the smooth textile
3. Let the powder sit for 120 elfin heartbeats
4. Rinse with clean water
5. Dry and shine the bells with the soft weave
6. Repeat as needed

Note: It’s required to clean the bells Christmas morning so that any debris, including reindeer hair can be removed before tarnishing the bells. 

You might not have antique brass sleigh bells, but you can use the exact cleaning procedure the elves use on any of your brass heirlooms.  

So, from all of us and Quinton’s team, we wish you a joyful and jingle bell-filled festive holiday!  

About the Author

Randy Clark is a speaker, coach, and author. He publishes a weekly blog at Randy Clark Leadership.com. Randy is passionate about social media, leadership development, and flower gardening. He’s a beer geek, and on weekends (after COVID-19) he can be found fronting the Rock & Roll band Under the Radar. He’s the proud father of two educators; he has four amazing grandchildren and a wife who dedicates her time to helping others. Randy is the author of the Amazon bestseller The New Manager’s Workbook: A crash course in effective management.

Image by Larry White from Pixabay