Klarinet Archive - Posting 000507.txt from 1998/12

From: Edinger/Gilman <wde1@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] baby oil stinks
Date: Sat, 12 Dec 1998 11:06:42 -0500

Rachel asked:

"my [friend] told me you can polish you clarinet with baby oil.i haven't
tried
it, because i wondered it if would mess it up.is it ok to do this?"

Rachel, "baby oil" is basically just glycerol (a.k.a. glycerine) with
scents added. It is much more viscous than real bore oil, feels greasy,
and it gets ever more sticky after time and collects dust. If by
"polish" you mean the outside, I would say to never use it. If you mean
the inside, I would say it's much to thick for that too. For Pete's
sake, how many cents would you save and end up ruining your instrument?
Your friend has a few leaky pads upstairs.
Perhaps more importantly, it will make your clarinet and case smell
forver like baby oil and you will inadvertently be training yourself to
associate playing your instrument with changing dirty diapers. Very bad
karma there.

Bill Edinger

-------------------------------------------------------------------------