Klarinet Archive - Posting 000279.txt from 2005/06

From: "John W. Sheridan" <otare@-----.au>
Subj: [kl] Microwaving mouthpieces & reeds
Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2005 07:53:29 -0400

IMHO, as a science and music teacher for 30 years, I'd have to say
microwaving a mouthpiece or reeds would probably be a bad idea. I've no
idea the effects on plastic or hard rubber but the microwaves would surely
have an effect on the glue and cork grease that you wouldn't like. As far
as the reeds, any water contained within the cells of the wood could boil,
rupture the cells and weaken the wood fibers - again, not a desirable effect
unless you want to soften the reed as well as sterilize it.
Back in the 50's, the reed players in HS band could go through a box of
reeds in the director's office, cleaning them with just a quick dip in a
glass of mouthwash kept handy for this purpose, and return to the box if
they didn't like a reed. (I think they charged a quarter per reed if you
bought one!) I don't suppose this is an acceptable procedure today.
I asked a bacteriology professor once why microwaving couldn't be used to
sterilize nutrient agar used to grow bacteria, as opposed to the tedious
procedure of autoclaving (fancy pressure cooker) dishes of the stuff. His
reply was that microwaving the agar changed it chemically and bacteria would
not grow on it. I've always wondered if it doesn't affect microwaved food
we consume to some extent.

John W. Sheridan

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