Klarinet Archive - Posting 000622.txt from 2002/05

From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Cleaning Mouthpieces.
Date: Wed, 22 May 2002 22:28:54 -0400

Bill -

5% vinegar never does a very good job, particularly on my circa 1940
Goldbeck, so I have tried to find a stronger vinegar to do the job. The
grocery stores that I have checked don't seem to carry anything but 5%.
Where do you find 10% vinegar?

Thank you,

Gene Nibbelin

-----Original Message-----
From: William Wright [mailto:w7wright@-----.net]
Subject: Re: [kl] Cleaning Mouthpieces.

<><> Sheri Baldwin wrote:
the best way to clean and/or disinfect your mouthpieces?

If your goal is merely to dissolve built-up gunk and calcium deposits, a
10% solution of common white vinegar (not flavored vinegar) does a
thorough job . You might consider doing this one a month or so. Buy
a bottle for 79 cents, and you're set for the next 5-10 years.

If your goal is to actually disinfect (kill germs), some mouthpiece
disinfectants warn you not to use them on hard rubber. One that is
safe for hard rubber (so far as I know, I've used it on my own
mouthpiece) is "Sterisol", whose active ingredient is a long chemical
name that ends with "....ammonium chloride". The label says to immerse
the mouthpiece for 1 minute in order to "sanitize" or for 10 minutes in
order to "disinfect".

There are a few viruses that no ordinary sterilizer will kill, but I
don't know how common they are (or aren't).

Cheers,
Bill

================

If I had Stadler's mouthpiece, would I play better? Or do I need his
ligature also? Or perhaps he and I are different persons? If I had
Mozart's pen, would I compose better?

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