 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-01-11 02:03
I purchased a used clarinet that I assume will come with a used mpc. How should I go about totally sterilizing the mpc prior to using it? Thank you.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2014-01-11 02:09
You can't. Totally, that is.
Reasonably, you can wash it in Listerine or the like, rub it with alcohol or simply wash it in some detergent. Be careful with hard rubber mouthpieces, they discolor when in contact with too hot water.
(unless the beak is a keeper, it often isn't worth cleaning them. 80% of what accompany the clarinets I bought have heavy teethmarks, are of questionable quality, have dings and dents and so on. Just judge before you go berserk with cleaning it)
--
Ben
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2014-01-10 21:14
You need not sanitize it at all. You need to remove all the built up mineral deposits. This can be done with a 1 to 2 white vinegar to water solution during a ten minute immersion. Use only cool water. Rinse with cool water. No soap or alcohol is needed. More acidic solutions tend to turn hard rubber green, as do certain soaps. Plastic is more color fast. Do a search. You can scrub lightly with a soft toothbrush to aid the deposit removal.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2014-01-11 02:56
You already have a mouthpiece you're playing on. I wouldn't bother much with the one that will come with the instrument unless you recognize that it's a quality piece that you think may be a possible improvement over what you're using. That doesn't, in general, describe the OEM mouthpieces on most clarinets.
You might just chuck it. If you have a reason to keep it, immerse it in vinegar (dilute or straight are fine - I've never discolored a mouthpiece with vinegar) to clean out any mineral deposits (and probably also disinfect it), then put it away somewhere (in case one day you want to experiment with mouthpiece refacing).
Karl
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-01-11 03:21
Unfortunately, it's an Eb so I can't use my existing Bb mpc on it...or I definitely would. These are great suggestions. Thanks, folks;)
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2014-01-11 03:26
I wash mouthpieces in a solution of Milton, which is used for sterilizing baby bottles.
Tony F.
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Author: Katrina
Date: 2014-01-11 03:35
You can also purchase a spray sanitiser called SaniMist which will work on any wind instrument mouthpiece (of course not reeds though).
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Author: Bruno
Date: 2014-01-11 02:08
You don't need any of that fancy stuff. Wash it inside and out in dishwashing detergent and warm water. DW detergent and water ruptures the cell membranes on all the bacteria and destroys the viruses. It will not only sanitize it but will remove all the crud. I wouldn't soak it though - it might loosen the cork (unless you plan to replace the cork, in which case soak hell out of it). Water not too warm, please.
Dr. Bruno.
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Author: ruben
Date: 2014-01-11 17:09
Omar, who advertises in this forum under "the Doctor's Products", is a doctor in chemistry, a charming and brilliant man, and he has a special powder that works wonders for cleaning mouthpieces. It does no damage to them, unlike many abrasive substances. It even works for very fragile collection pieces like Chédeville mouthpieces, leaving them perfectly intact. To sterilise mouthpieces, I use Vodka! I sterilize the mouthpiece with it and then drink some of the stuff. If it's good for my mouthpiece, it has to be good for me.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: The Doctor ★2017
Date: 2014-01-11 19:31
(Disclaimer - I sell a mouthpiece cleaning product that will sanitize and sterilize mouthpieces, and Chedeville brand mouthpieces.)
There are of course precise definitions for disinfect, sanitize, and sterilize. Sanitize means to clean but not necessarily removing all harmful agents, disinfect removes most harmful substances and bacteria and virus, and sterilize removes all bacteria and virus.
All this being said, a good cleaning with soap and cool water and rinsing also with cool water will probably accomplish the first two. Solidified organic material within the mouthpiece may harbor stubborn bacteria and mineral deposits are unsightly and sometimes accumulate enough to alter the tone (not usually though). These need special treatment to solubilize and remove the organic detritus and a chemical action to remove mineral deposits.
Since I sell mouthpieces at shows and I make up a solution of the products that barbers (probably the old kind that do not now use UV light) use in the cylinder jars on the counter that they use to sterilize combs. Good old combs are made of hard rubber so the solution is safe for mouthpieces. A one minute dip will sterilize hard rubber combs and in this case mouthpieces. The spray sanitizers sold are usually ammonium products that will not sterilize mouthpieces because their EPA descriptions specify a temperature and contact time. Most of us will not wait the required 5 minutes for these products to fully perform their duties.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
www.chedevillemp.com
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Author: ruben
Date: 2014-01-12 05:00
Thank you Omar! The buck stops here. Nobody knows more about chemistry as related to the clarinet than you. You didn't comment on my vodka method, though, and I was only half kidding. I have you used vodka to clean reeds and mouthpieces and such. I don't, however, use it as mouthwash, as I implied! As for beverages, I'm more into wine-I'm not French for nothing!
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2014-01-13 03:19
I sometimes dunk the beak part of a mouthpiece in 25% hydrochloric acid for a few minutes. I recon that this should kill most known germs but equally important disolves the limescale crustation that often forms on the outside and softens the "crudd" typically found in the wind slot of many mouthpieces where prior user has not been fastidious about cleanliness of this area.
To date I have never found this to cause any damage or discoloring of the ebonite.
ps. clean thoroughly with detergent and water to neutralise the acid before playing it.
Post Edited (2014-01-12 22:20)
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Author: cyclopathic
Date: 2014-01-14 19:10
Listerine, bleach (~1/2tsp per cup of water) or dip in vinegar for 15-20min. Scrub with old toothbrush.
Vinegar also dissolves calcium build up.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-01-18 08:02
I used the vinegar soak, followed by a scrub with tepid water and detergent to remove mineral deposits.
If I am asked to "sanitise" a mouthpiece I use the stuff used to soak/sanitise dentures, in my case 1/4 of a pill dissolved in a little water.
(As I understand it though, it may well be just as good to keep the mouthpiece dry for a few days. But the sanitising soak makes players feel better)
Sterilising? Pretty much impossible without destroying the mouthpiece.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2014-01-18 15:26
"Polident" in the USA. All the comments above pretty much cover the subject rather completely. I myself would not recommend HCL to anyone not aware of its destructive power. Previous posts from the past have cautioned to put a washcloth in the sink.
Bob Draznik
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2014-01-18 23:28
I bought the Doctor's Product a couple of days after buying the clarinet. The Doctor's Product arrived 2-3 days ago. Am still waiting for the clarinet. It was shipped via USPS and spent 6 days in Centralia, IL before being shipped to Memphis. No USPS updates in 2 days. Remind me to NEVER ship USPS!
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Author: ruben
Date: 2014-01-18 23:51
Roxann: use Fedex; they're far superior.
rubengreenbergparisfrance@gmail.com
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Author: TAS
Date: 2014-01-20 08:59
After looking into a few too many student mouthpieces over the years, you might want to try a blast of RAID 
TAS
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2014-01-21 23:47
Joking aside:
I wonder if the propellant or volatile active ingredient would dissolve the surface of the plastic. I'm thinking of how citrus oil destroys styrene plastic. (And the S in ABS is styrene, in case that is relevant.)
Post Edited (2014-01-22 04:49)
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Author: saxhorn
Date: 2014-01-22 05:22
One word...Diet-Coke...let the mouthpiece soak in a glass of Diet-coke
over night...the next day simply wash with Dish soap and water.
It will make the most crusty mouthpiece look as new again!
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