The new type of cloth swab to which I am referring consists of a triangular piece of cotton cloth to which a weighted string is attached. This will just fit into the bore and when drawn up snug in the upper section, it will still leave ample cloth at the bottom to permit the swab to be pulled out. Never attempt to pull this type of swab all the way through the upper section, as the wide end of the cloth will not fit through. Merely draw the cloth through until it is snug and then remove it from the bottom. I have found that the Larilee oboe swab and the Linton English horn swabs are the most effective and I enclose one of these swabs with every instrument I sell, new or used regardless of make . . .
Many people recommend the periodic oiling of the wood with bore oil.
The wood of an instrument can expand and crack as a result of excessive absorption of any kind of moisture, including oil. Bore oiling can be done - but very carefully and only if a very light film of oil is left on the wood. Great care must be taken to avoid getting any bore oil on the pads or on the mechanism. Any excessive oil not absorbed by the wood within a reasonable amount of time should be carefully removed. Every so often we find an instrument that has cracked as a direct result of being played too soon after being outdoors in very cold weather.