The Clarinet BBoard

Re: Moth Damage

Author: Margaret  Date:   2009-03-21 19:48 Hello, I have no moth experience, but did disassemble, clean and subsequently re-assemble a clarinet case. If replacement is not an option/ undesirable, why not just clean them? Since you said any advice was welcome, I suggest this procedure. I did this to a clarinet case and was well pleased with the results: I very carefully removed the liner and washed it (it may shrink a bit, but fabric is easy to find- mine was fine and still fit). You may have to soak the liner and the foamy form that the instrument pieces fit in, to separate the two. I then took a tiny paint/ drywall scraper and scraped all of the old glue off of the now exposed wood (in this case) of the case itself. I replaced the 'divider' that separates the accessories spot from the rest of it and washed the whole thing. Then I used a tiny amount of 'Zud' to get rid of any rust marks on the case hinges, etc. 'Zud' is very poisonous, so I wouldn't use this in the case, even if there is something metal and rusty on the inside. Then I washed the whole thing in soapy water and let it dry in the sun. The liner I washed by hand with laundry soap and let air dry. For the foam form, I used a very soft, child's toothbrush and water to scrub the residual glue off it of without damaging it. My case has a top half that was stuffing, rather than shaped foam, so I just replaced it with new, synthetic, non-smelly polyester sewing stuffing; it did take a bit of experimenting to find the right replacement amount I then re-glued and assembled the whole thing and let it air dry for days. Afterwards, I closed the case and left orange peels stuck with whole cloves in it and left that. Finally, I removed the orange peels and just left some cloves in the case. I don't know if this would repel insects; I just like the smell. It is something to think about though, as some spices do repel certain insects and they're harmless. I now have a case that matches the instrument, but I can be sure that it's clean and it no longer smells like mildew, as it did when I bought it. The only harsh cleaner used was the aforementioned 'Zud' and it was only used sparingly on the outside. I don't like dirty things and regardless of whether or not you succeed in killing the eggs, larvae and moths, it will be still be dirty if it is not actually cleaned. Vacuuming is not really thorough enough, in my opinion, because any grime that seeped into the lining, etc., would remain. This whole process took me about a day, but it was worth it. No one looking at that case would ever suspect the sad neglect it endured. It only makes me wish that when I bought my first clarinet, I'd have taken the original case, but I was offered a choice and remained unsure about how to clean it back then, and knew that a dirty case would bother me. Based on my case-cleaning success, I now look on that certain site for a case that matches my first clarinet. Margaret

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