 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-08-11 20:41
Hello
A recent post about brushing your teeth before playing got me thinking: How many on the BBoard wash their hands before playing?? What pros/cons are there to washing your hands before playing the Clarinet?? Is a portable hand wash like Germ-X or Purel okay, or should one use a soap bar?? I have hyper acidic skin, Germ-X is definitely more convienant to haul around, but should I use bar soap?? Thanks in Advance!!
Clayton
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Author: psychotic lil clarinet girl (don't as
Date: 2005-08-11 20:58
Are we surrounded by Germophobes? Is that a word?!
In any matter, unless your hands are super sticky there really is no need to. At least I don't think there would be. Besides, my hands usually get sweaty when I play the clarinet or piano for a while. AND there are germs all around us anyways.
I would think brushing your teeth would be more important than washing your hands. Of course, that is only one woman's/girl's (whatever) opinion.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-11 21:11
Did someone mention germs!! I think not. Given today's society and the fact that at least one or two generations of parents failed to instruct their kids about hand washing you should wash your hands or use any one of the common "antibacterial" liquids or wipes that are out there .....probably more often than you do. I could go on and on.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-11 21:48
BobD wrote:
> Did someone mention germs!! I think not. Given today's society
> and the fact that at least one or two generations of parents
> failed to instruct their kids about hand washing you should
> wash your hands or use any one of the common "antibacterial"
> liquids or wipes that are out there .....probably more often
> than you do. I could go on and on.
Those "anti-bacterial" soaps don't do squat if you retest after an hour or so.
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-08-11 23:42
psychotic lil clarinet girl:
I did not in any way infer germs, but was wondering if washing my hands before playing would form a protective cover over my fingers to prevent acid from my sweat from harming my clarinet or the key mechanism. It is however my fault for not explaining my previous post, and for that I apologize.
Mark Charette:
Interesting. Is there a written study which proves the fact that antibacterial soaps do little in terms of killing germs?? I would be VERY interested in reading that article. Could you please provide a link, or tell me where I might find it??
Thanks
Clayton
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Author: mkybrain
Date: 2005-08-12 00:11
I wash my hands really just so i dont get anything on my reeds...that might do much but i figure the cleaner i can keep them the longer they will last.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2005-08-12 01:10
ClariBone wrote:
> Interesting. Is there a written study which proves the fact
> that antibacterial soaps do little in terms of killing germs??
You misunderstood. The anti-bacterial soap kill bacteria (hence their name). Let's say they kill 99.9%. So does regular soap.
Now, look up the reproductive rate of bacteria ...
Also, scan through this google link for a lot more info.
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-08-12 01:30
Interesting, in Japan folk tend to be obsessive about cleaning themselves and it is have a detectable affect on the immune system of "the population in general" (a negative weakening affect). I'll do my best to find the source of this info and post back.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-08-12 02:45
bflatclarinetist wrote:
> I just make sure my hands are sticky or dirty.
Clean hands would be better ...GBK
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-08-12 02:56
Obviously some confusion here. I only used the word "antibacterial" because to my knowledge there aren't any "other" kind of "wipes". Plain old soap is entirely adequate....but if it's not handy use a wipe. Salty perspiration(and all of it is) is probably the main cause of key and spring tarnish and corrosion even if you wash your hands prior to playing. I apply my cork grease with a finger and when I'm done assembling I try to get some on my finger tips.....the idea being to put a perspiration barrier there. Of course I also dismantle my horn at least once a year to clean it. As far as the benefits of hand washing for health reasons are concerned you can believe what you want to. Hmmm....nice cold sore you got there.
Bob Draznik
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Author: mkybrain
Date: 2005-08-12 05:26
When you say you dismantle your horn once a year, do you mean take the keys off the horn, or do you keep the whole thing together for that long of a period?
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-08-12 13:37
You are already in the bathroom brushing your teeth. Washing the hands can get any dirt, dead skin, etc off of the fingers. (ya know, the stuff that gets into the tone holes and comes out when you clean em with a Q Tip)
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-08-12 14:28
If you leave the cork grease on your fingers, aren't you inviting clogging of the tone holes? You know, the dripping faucet effect - or could be like the "dollars are made of many pennies" principle.
By the way, my repairman insists that the corrosion of the keys has nothing to do with acidity of the sweat but rather the cheapness of the manufacturer to coat the keys with enough nickle. He relates this experience: One of his customers is a doctor with access to lab services. He complained that the keys were corrroding on his brand new clarinet. The company refused to fix the keys under warranty stating that the doctor's sweat was acidic and thus corroded the keys prematurely. The doctor sent his blood sample to the lab, got a report stating that his blood is actually more alkaline than acidic, sent the report to the manufacturer, and got a free recoating of the keys. Maybe it was just for his imaginative insistence?
Hand washing is only logical, by the way. Dirt builds up, like it or not. Just look at the side of a book if the pages are handled very much at all even by "clean" hands.
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Author: ClariBone
Date: 2005-08-12 14:44
Thanks to all who have posted. BobD, I'm curious. Did you say you put cork grease on your finger tips prior to playing?? Will cork grease provide a "perpiration barrier". How does cork grease affect the grip of your fingers to the keys (will they fly off unexpectedly??). I ask because I don't have a clarinet here to test that with. If so, that would be great. Mary, you need not apologize. It was my fault for not explaining my post. Mark, Thanks for the link and sorry for the confusion!!! Those were amazingly insightful. I have concluded that I will continue to wash my hands before playing. As a matter of fact, I think I will go wash my hands right now, lol!!!
Clayton
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-08-12 15:00
I really don't think those antibacterial soaps are worth it. You don't want to remove ALL bacteria - pretty difficult in any case- just the more insidious bugs that shouldn't be there. Rubbing your hands with a bit of soap under running water should be enough.
Don't forget that our normal skin bacteria actually helps us - as does the E.coli in our gut - by keeping out other more deadly strains.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't play the clarinet with dirty hands. Over time, it's bound to affect the mechanism and tone holes.
Steve
PS I wonder what an analysis of 6 yr olds recorders would show? Yuck!
![[whoa]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie10.gif)
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-08-12 15:02
"By the way, my repairman insists that the corrosion of the keys has nothing to do with acidity of the sweat but rather the cheapness of the manufacturer to coat the keys with enough nickle. He relates this experience: One of his customers is a doctor with access to lab services. He complained that the keys were corrroding on his brand new clarinet. The company refused to fix the keys under warranty stating that the doctor's sweat was acidic and thus corroded the keys prematurely. The doctor sent his blood sample to the lab, got a report stating that his blood is actually more alkaline than acidic, sent the report to the manufacturer, and got a free recoating of the keys. Maybe it was just for his imaginative insistence?"
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I'd argue with your tech. I sold my Clarinet (nickle plated) to a student who in just 1 year had worn off most of the plating. We both practiced, played aprox. the same amt of time daily. I played it for 8 years, him for 1 and his 1 year wore it out more than the 8 previously did.
His finger chemistry absolutely was the cause.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-08-12 15:56
It's possible. But then could it be that you wore it almost out and he finished it for you? Like when I try to open a bottle of something and my son comes along and finishes it for me?
Like anything else there are lots of opinions until something's proven scientifically and even then...
Post Edited (2005-08-12 16:00)
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Author: Markael
Date: 2005-08-12 16:09
David Blumberg said, "You are already in the bathroom brushing your teeth."
Not necessarily. You have brushed your teeth since you last ate. Maybe it has been a couple of hours.
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2005-08-12 17:16
I perspire profusely. Any metal that can corrode, corrodes more rapidly when I touch it, than when others I know touch it. I first discovered this when target shooting with a pistol. In order to keep my blued Smith & Wesson from rusting, I learned to oil it before I handled it, as well as cleaning and oiling immediately after a shooting session.
Later I noticed my clarinet keys were also corroding faster than those of most other players. Since oily keys make my fingers slide, I wash my hands before playing and clean the keys after playing.
I don't know whether it's acidity, salt, or just excessive moisture, but I can attest to the fact that the phenomenon exists.
John
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-08-12 18:55
Vandoren makes the most amazing cloth for wiping off the keys. "Microfiber Cleaning Cloth".
Not many vendors carry it yet.
Soft enough to put the Holy Grail on. Much softer than the microfiber cloths that are 3 for $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-08-12 19:00
"It's possible. But then could it be that you wore it almost out and he finished it for you? Like when I try to open a bottle of something and my son comes along and finishes it for me?
Like anything else there are lots of opinions until something's proven scientifically and even then..."
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No Brenda, it had very minimal wear before and very maximum wear afterwards.....
Different players have different finger chemistry whether it is acidic or not. Some wear out the plating a lot quicker than others.
And yes, the plating on the nickel buffets is (or at least was!) very thin, but this Clarinet was made before I was seeing that phenomenon.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2005-08-12 19:56
David, I was just kidding with you but couldn't get the little grin face attachment to work. Being the devil's advocate helps to stir up debate!
Actually the career I'm in makes me more detail-oriented than perhaps some in my family would like, but it's critical for serving my clients well (and for catching mistakes on legal documents, or catching my kids at stuff!)
As usual it's great to be able to read the whole range of experiences and opinions on this BB.
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