 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: D.Beers
Date: 1999-11-01 03:06
My son is recovering from a nasty pneumonia. The MD says his clarinet mouthpiece needs to be sanitized. Don't want to spoil it using the wrong claening material. It is a VITO res something (sorry, the inscription is a little worn. It is green, so obviously not wood.
Thanks
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: lis
Date: 1999-11-01 03:34
There is Sanimist that you can get from just about any music store or catalog that will sanitize the mouthpiece without harming it. I use it on my own mouthpiece anytime I think I'm getting a cold........ There are other methods, but that's what I do.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: john
Date: 1999-11-01 14:02
Put a heaping spoonful of baking soda into a hot water "bath" and stir for a couple of minutes. It will clean and sanitize the mouthpiece, without harming the plastic.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 1999-11-01 14:57
John,
<br>I don't believe that baking soda has any real anti-bacterial qualities; at least I've never heard that claim or seen it on the baking soda box.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Aaron Hayden
Date: 1999-11-01 15:27
There is a product on the market called Sterisol Germicide. It is made for mouthpieces. Ask your local music dealer to get it for you.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 1999-11-01 16:13
I should think that a quick dip in diluted hydrogen peroxide followed by a warm water wash would sanitize safely. I would probably put it in white vinegar for an hour or so before the H2O2 treatment as well. Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Tobin Coleman
Date: 1999-11-01 17:14
Believe it or not, plain soap and warm water will do the trick every time and you don't have to worry about damaging the cork with any chemicals.
Fill a sink with warm water, squirt a generous amount of liquid dishwashing soap into and all over the mouthpiece and immerse the entire mouthpiece in the water. Run a SOFT bottle brush that easily fits through the bore inside and around the outside, being creful not to scratch the mouthpiece. If you don't have a bottle brush use a BRAND-NEW kitchen sponge, but a plain one, not the kind that has a rough side for scrubbing.
Rinse with warm water, wipe dry in and out with a cotton cloth (run it through) and AIR DRY completely.
In fact, the bacteria and viruses that cause pneumonia die relatively quickly outside the body just with air contact. But the soap will make sure you've done a thorough job.
Don't soak the mouthpiece. The cork will take in too much moisture. The cork may expand slightly when wet but will return to normal when it's dry. Make sure the cork is BONE DRY before reapplying cork grease, because the cork expands unevenly when wet and you don't want the cork grease to seal moisture in. The whole thing should dry in about an hour.
As I'm sure you are aware DO NOT use this same treatment on the rest of the clarinet. Just let it air dry outside the case after swabbing through. The germs don't live long enough to be a problem.
Put the case outside in the sunshine for 1/2 an hour. The germs will die and it also helps get rid of that musty smell cases get from always being closed with some moisture inside.
Hope this helps,
Tobin
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Joanne
Date: 1999-11-03 02:09
Don't forget about the reeds - bacteria are more likely to persist on cane than on the plastic mouthpiece. Try a dilute hydrogen peroxide soak for 15 minutes or so.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
