Klarinet Archive - Posting 001205.txt from 1998/09

From: "Arnold Teres" <johnathant@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Mouthpiece Cleaning
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 22:45:29 -0400

I have saliva with a high calcium content so I end up with rapid
accumulation of hard white crud on my mouthpiece. Since abrasives of any
kind are probably bad to use on your mouthpiece I suggest soaking your
mouthpiece in white vinegar whenever the deposits become a problem. Just be
careful not to soak the cork. For me, most of the deposists will wipe off
with a soft cloth and some cool water after about 10 - 15 minutes of vinegar
soaking. A second soaking gets my mouthpiece spotless. You may get by with
less. I have to do this about every four to six weeks.
I also wipe off any excess cork greese that accumulates on the tenon or in
the mortise of the various joints. I use a soft cotton cloth for this job
and I wash it immediately afterwards - it's just too gummy to put into my
case.

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