 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rfoot
Date: 2009-10-11 10:47
I have a Vandoren M15 mouthpiece, and it is beginning to look a little grubby. How do I clean it without ruining the colour?
Post Edited (2009-10-11 11:23)
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Author: kdk
Date: 2009-10-11 13:41
You'll get lots of different suggestions - take your pick among them. I leave my mouthpieces standing (tip down) in a shot glass of straight vinegar. The shot glass provides just enough depth to get the part with the mineral deposits, etc., into the vinegar while keeping the cork well away from it. After a couple of hours I wipe the outside with a soft cloth and rinse and swab the inside (those who get nervous about swabbing the bore can just leave it out to air dry).
Karl
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-10-11 15:41
I agree with Karl but half vinegar and half water is just fine. After about five minutes you can gently scrape off any build up with your finger nail and clean the inside with a swab. I use a SOFT bristle toothbrush to gently clean the inside along the rails. A soft child's toothbrush fits great without being forced. ESP
That and some other hints are on my website. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: William
Date: 2009-10-11 17:54
[also posted to janlynn] I have been soaking my vintage mouthpieces--Chicago Kaspar, Charles Bay, etc--for many years in a shotglass full of straight LimeAway for about 5 min and then washing them in soap & water. That process has always gotten rid of all the yucky mouth gunk with no discoloration of any kind. Also clean my metal sax mpcies that way with same results. FWIW, I do not use rubber gloves, etc and the LimeAway--or similar household cleaning products that I have also used--has never burned my mouth or my fingers. The soapy wash probably prevents that...... Results, all of my mouthpieces look remarkably "new" and always clean.
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Author: Grabnerwg
Date: 2009-10-11 18:04
You can use warm soapy water. Just make sure the temperature is under 130 degrees. Temperatures warmer than that can cause the mouthpiece to warp.
Walter Grabner
www.clarinetxpress.com
Hand crafted clarinet mouthpieces
New Buffet 1193 bass clarinets
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2009-10-14 19:39
Omar the Doctor has a fantastic mouthpiece cleaning solution that he has come up with. I use it all the time when cleaning my mouthpieces. Doctor's Products is what it's called.
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Author: Noqu
Date: 2009-10-15 09:53
Just out of curiosity (because my wife recently bought such a device): has anybody tried to clean a mouthpiece using an "ultrasound bath" - not sure how they are called in English - you know, these things opticians use to clean glasses ?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-15 14:09
Just to clarify Walter is talking degrees Farenheit there.
Not sure what the conversion from Faremheit to Centigrade is, but I'd say for those of us used to Centigrade, the safest bet is washing in warm water at around 40°C on ebonite mouthpieces to prevent warping or discolouration.
I've been using neat kettle descaler (either formic or citric acid) and that's caused absolutely no harm to plastic, ebonite, crystal or metal mouthpieces when demineralising them.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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