Klarinet Archive - Posting 000047.txt from 2002/10

From: Tom.Henson@-----.com
Subj: RE: [kl] cleaning reeds
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2002 18:18:42 -0400

I might point out that a Klarinet list sponsor, The Doctor's Products, has
both a mouthpiece cleaning solution and one for reeds as well.

I have used both, and have not had any unintended results.

Granted, my mouthpieces were not that dirty as I rinse them in cool water
and dry them after each use.

Another thing that I do is to always soak the reeds for a few seconds AFTER
I use them, and use my thumb on a glass plate to push off the excess water
which will also rinse the saliva from the reed. One look at the glass plate
when finished will convince you of the need to do this on a regular basis.

I don't know if this will make the reed last longer, but it does keep it
cleaner over it's life.

If you are practicing at home, this is fairly easy to keep up with, but when
performing can be a pain.

Tom Henson

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