 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: wjk
Date: 2006-06-12 16:09
How would one best clean/sterilize an old crystal mouthpiece? How do you protect the cork during the cleaning process?
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2006-06-12 17:02
I cleaned mine with warm soapy water and it worked fine. I held it by the cork and tried not to get water on it. But why would a bit of water hurt it anyway?
Completely sterilising it doesn't make sense. Though I guess dipping it in just-boiled water for a few minutes would do the trick. A solution of 70% alcohol would also work.
Steve
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Author: GBK
Date: 2006-06-12 17:27
If it is an old crystal mouthpiece, you probably want to soon change the cork.
I would remove the cork and all residual adhesive and then run it through the glass or fine crystal setting on your dishwasher.
I've played the same pair of crystal mouthpieces for more than 35 years and clean them daily, after each use with a thin, soft cotton cloth.
Doctor's Products sells a mouthpiece cleaning product which (I assume) would work equally as well on hard rubber or crystal...GBK
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-12 17:42
If you have some calcium deposits that warm water and dishwashing soap won't remove, you can also use a toothbrush and toothpaste to scrub the crystal.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2006-06-12 18:24
Only on Long Island do dishwashers come with a "Fine Crystal" setting, here in Georgia the specialized setting is for Corel.
L. Omar Henderson
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-06-12 19:08
To elaborate on my toothpaste idea, I'd recommend "PomariCrest Fluoride with Extra Whitening". Makes your mouthpiece sparkle! And practically eliminates cavities.
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2006-06-12 19:48
Dave --
I tried that toothpaste you recommended but it eliminated most of the cavity inside my mouthpiece. Now what do I do?
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Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-06-12 19:55
John -
It'll come out fine if you use a quarter-inch chisel. Bevelled one is best. Alternatively, if it's a crystal mouthpiece, drop it on a hard floor. The mouthpiece will break and the toothpaste will come out quite easily.
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If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-06-12 20:02
Really, Fellas, all jokes aside, it is [may be] a serious ?. True,sterilization requires a sterile environment and is neither needed nor [usually] obtainable. My only treatment, beyond soft cloth [clean handerchief] drying, is an occasional overnite in vinegar for Ca/Mg removal. Cork survives quite well ! My 2 bass, 1 alto and several Bb glasses [several are old O'Briens] have survived beautifully and play well as usual. To each his own, just dont get Wild, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2006-06-12 20:33
How do you protect the cork during the cleaning process?
The cork on my test mpc (a badly dented unnamed specimen) survived the default programme in the dishwasher. 
Cork can handle quite a bit, and if you re-grease it after cleaning it will do just fine. I use a cheap off-the shelf toothbrush, scrub the to-be-refurbished mouthpieces with dishwasher soap and (outside, and this includes the cork) and toothpaste (inside). Just don't go berserk with table and rails...
--
Ben
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Author: susieray
Date: 2006-06-12 22:28
I'm with Don; I'd just give it a good soaking in vinegar. I do it all the time and the corks are usually fine. If the cork does fall off, it was probably going to come off soon anyway so why not just plan on putting a new one on?
~Sue ![[happy]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley12.gif)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-06-13 12:42
TKS. SR, yes, IMHO, simple [?minded?] solutions are best. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-06-13 14:15
I've used vinegar very successfully on hard rubber but not dared to try it on crystal.
I presume from the experience of others here that vinegar does not attack crystal like lemon juice attacks glass.
My mother's glass lemon squeezer looked like a well calcified mouthpiece, and it's messy white look did not clean off, so presumably the surface was etched in some way.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2006-06-13 17:52
Gordon: You do bring up a good point since even some rain water will etch "glass" and not all vinegars are identical. A test is always best.
Omar: I like yur humour as much as your products.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-06-13 20:52
You guys are off into the fruit acids here, citric acid is the perhaps the strongest right from the lemon, some "vinegars" may have others, BUT the usual White [colorless] vinegar is only about 5% acetic acid in water and quite harmless. In my experience, the only significant etching of glasses results from hydrofluoric acid {HF} exposure. I made acquaintance with 100% HF in 1942, where it was the catalyst for alkylation of butenes with isobutane to produce isooctane, then the best [additive] component for aviation gasoline, which helped win WW II. I have always felt good about my "war service", also with butadiene production for synthetic rubber. Have I gone overboard? MC/GBK?? Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: wjk
Date: 2006-06-13 21:19
Update: its an "Obrien"---mouthpiece--seems like a very closed facing. There is a small chip in the top rail. Is it possible/worth it to get it re-faced?
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-06-14 06:37
A bit off topic, but an interesting site about the susceptibility of glass surface to damage by water, acid, and alkali, but a few minutes dose probably does little harm.
http://www.hfmgv.org/explore/artifacts/glass.asp
Vinegar has a pH between 2.4 and 3.4, while lemon juice has a pH around 2.2
I wonder exactly how the lemon juice does so much damage in so short a time. Perhaps the cause is something other than the acid.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-06-14 13:41
WJK - As Dave said, yes X 2. Several of mine are old O'B's and needed refacing to wider tip and longer curves than the 2 and 2S lays, one badly chipped ! Dave did one [+ others for me] and Manfredo Cavallini [Italy] [are you still reading our posts, M C ?] did the bad one, shortening it as needed. Both play well [and much better], but in my band, I play Bass cl when our ass't cond. conducts and Alto when he doesn't [and he does the BC "chores"], so have little sop. experince "under fire". Reading back, I believe I shpuld apologise for being quite "bruske" in my comments, I just don't like mis , incomplete -information, again, delete as needed, MC/GBK. TKS, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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