Klarinet Archive - Posting 000019.txt from 1998/01

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Cleaning mouthpieces
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 1998 21:31:42 -0500

Detlef Kretschmer wrote:

> >Hydrogen peroxide and alcohol are NOT cleaning agents. They are
> >disinfectants. Now if you have allowed someone to use your mouthpiece,
>
> Actually, iso-propanol (rubbing alcohol) is quite a good cleaning agent.
> Cleaners for tape or magnetic disc drives and things like Windex use from
> 40 to 50 % iso-propyl alcohol, quite efficiently. At this low
> concentration, it is unlikely to attack most plastics, however, don't let
> anything soak in it, just to be safe.
>
> Detlef Kretschmer
> Dipl. Ing., DSc., Prof.
> Dept. Mechanical Engineering
> Laval University
> Quebec, QC, Canada G1K 7P4
>
> Voice (418) 656-5409
> Fax (418) 656-7415

Depends on what you are trying to clean off. Tapes, disk drives, and such
would normally only have airborne dust or light oils (such as from hands)
settling on them. Alcohol is fine here. For build up deposits, soap and
water is much better.

Also, the great majority of advanced and pro mouthpieces are hard rubber not
plastic.

Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net
Canton, SD