Klarinet Archive - Posting 000083.txt from 2004/10

From: "Christy Erickson" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Playing while sick
Date: Mon, 4 Oct 2004 22:47:15 -0400

Patricia, I've tried various things with reeds myself in an attempt to
"sterilize" them after I've been ill. I run my toothbrushes through the
dishwasher every few days to keep them clean but I don't think that =
would
work particularly well with reeds.
One thing I do with my reeds is put them out in the sun to sanitize =
them
periodically if I feel I need to. Isn't sunlight one of the best =
sanitizers
there is? I don't remember where I got the info but I believe this came
from some research I read about killing bacteria on toothbrushes by =
placing
them in the sunlight. However, I don't remember how long they must stay
there for this to be effective. In Wisconsin, this is definitely =
impossible
at certain times of the year. Chances are, if we have bright sunlight =
in
January, the temp. will also be below 0. Maybe the freezer is a better
idea?
In my experience, most of these methods do change the reeds. I =
soaked a
few in a dilute solution of bleach water once to try to sanitize them =
but
they were never the same after that and I ended up tossing them anyway.
Perhaps purchasing a new box of reeds would be the best solution.
Christy

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