 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tootleman
Date: 2000-07-19 02:13
This is a little embarrassing. I have recently purchased my first "real" (wood) clarinet, used, and I have been braking it in as though it were new by slowly increasing the play time each day, and then carefully cleaning and storing it. This Sunday, a few hours after a lovely brunch, I played it for about 15 minutes. When I went to play it yesterday, it had a strong aroma of the smoked fish I had enjoyed! It had never occurred to me that the residue in my mouth after several hours would be so strong! Does anyone have any idea how I might clean away the smell? I'm sure I just can't just wash it without harming the wood. I assume the aura will eventually fade, but I hope I can speed the process. Any suggestions?
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Author: HTW
Date: 2000-07-19 03:37
In future, ALWAYS brush your teeth before you play! *lol*
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-07-19 11:47
Chances are the odor has soaked into the case lining, so try taking the clarinet out of the case and leaving the empty case open to sunlight for half a day or so. Sunlight is a pretty good deoderizer. Meanwhile, leave the unassembled pieces of the clarinet indoors but in a place where they can air out thoroughly. You can wad up little bits of paper and prop them under the rods to the keys that normally stay closed, to hold those keys open so that air will circulate over the pads, since they may have absorbed odor. If this fairly non-agressive approach doesn't work, you could use Febreze or one of the other fabric deoderants in the case, or leave a dryer sheet in the case for a few days. Spray the case when it's empty, then put the clarinet back in only when the case is completely dry. The deoderant will probably remove or reduce the smell in the wood. I agree with the other person who recommended brushing teeth before playing! That will also reduce how quickly gunk clogs up the register key tube.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2000-07-19 12:09
I'll second the brushing your teeth routine. Even several hours after eating there are small food particles still floating around in your mouth that can end up in your clarinet to later ferment - sounds pretty gross but true. I have had some success at deodorizing older clarinets by increasing the amount of lemon and almond oil in a bore oil formulation and running a tight swab through the bore a few more times than usual with this oil formulation. If the bore is treated with bore oil the particles of food gunk should come out with normal swabbing (an occasional cotton Q-tip in the tone holes too) after use but an untreated bore or one that has roughness or nooks and cranies can collect all sorts of foul smelling detritus. I do not swab my mouthpiece but forcefully run water from the kitchen sink (avoid mouthwash or any other chemicals that could harm your MP) through it after every use and the blow out the excess water and dry the outside with an old silk scarf. If the relative humidity in the case or area housing the clarinet is too high (all you folks in the southeast) then mildew can also be a problem (the old musty case smell - some people actually like the oldy moldy smell though). It is important to control the RH in and around the clarinet to avoid mildew (mildew just will not grow in RH less than about 60%) since this is one of the hardest odors to get rid of.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-07-19 14:40
I second [+] the good advice above, I also use a "water-pick" [squirter] to remove non-brushed-out particles, its successful! We had a thread-post on this not long back, suggest "Search the Phorum". Don
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Author: mandy
Date: 2000-07-20 03:19
if you live in a dry climate, why not try orange peels? they would moisturize and make the case smell like oranges...good luck!
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-07-20 16:38
mandy wrote:
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if you live in a dry climate, why not try orange peels? they would moisturize and make the case smell like oranges...good luck!
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I'm leery of orange peels or anything else that's aromatic, because food smells can attract vermin. You wouldn't believe the dead bees, hornets, cockroaches and other bugs I've shaken out of flea market clarinets -- aptly named! I agree with L. Omar Henderson about mold and mildew smells being the worst to deodorize. (Spelled it right this time! I think I wrote it wrong about 4 times in my earlier message!) The mildew stains are terrible, too. I've had to re-line cases because of mold and mildew I couldn't get rid of. It's better never to let that stuff get started in the first place.
One thing I suspect happens a lot is that people never intend to leave the clarinet mouldering in the case. They plan to practice tomorrow. They don't make plans to quit or take a long break. It just sort of happens. If it happens when the clarinet was put away wet, a lot can go wrong with the instrument before anybody opens that case again. Best to get into the habit of performing daily maintenance without fail *every day* instead of promising ourselves to catch up tomorrow or next week. I also think that if a wooden clarinet needs to be stored for weeks, months or longer, it's better off in a closet inside the house or apartment than in a shed, garage basement or other area with no climate control. A little bit of moisture in a small "check" in the wood can start a crack, if that moisture freezes, because water expands as it turns into ice. Also, termites and big vermin such as mice and rats are less likey to chew into a wooden hard case if it's in a living area. A lot of the worst-wrecked instruments I've seen are in wooden-framed cases with rodent gnaw-holes or termite tunnels. Those holes let in all sorts of other critters.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-07-20 17:24
Excellent advice, Lelia, after I've played, on coming home I check the "dryness" of the horn, AND leave their case open all night, believing that the atmospheric humidity [here "in river city"] is sufficient to keep pads etc in good condition. Don
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-07-20 18:26
Wood has an uncanny knack for absorbing odors. If as smell is in the case, most likely its in the wood, not the fuzzy synthetic liner. An old trick used by the older commercial fisherman around here is to use loosely rolled or folded news papers (a wood product) in their cars, houses and in their boats. They simply change it once a week. I keep it in my freezer (full of fish) and in the fridge when my wife puts her cantelopes in it, its works.
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