How to clean a clarinet or saxophone mouthpiece?

Vandoren Paris
How to clean a clarinet or saxophone mouthpiece?

Coronavirus Questions / Answers:

How to clean a clarinet or saxophone mouthpiece?

You will need:

Cold running water
Mild soap or neutral pH cleaning gel
Small cup of white vinegar
Small cup of cooking oil
A used soft toothbrush (never use an abrasive pad in case they damage the mouthpiece)
A clean soft microfibre cloth or paper handkerchiefs (do not use kitchen towels as they are too abrasive)
Adhesive tape and cork grease for clarinet mouthpiece

Steps:

Thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water
Put on gloves and then put on protective glasses
Remove any mouthpiece cushion if necessary using a disposable and non-abrasive tool such as an old reed or a toothpick, then throw it all away in a closed bin.
For a clarinet mouthpiece, wrap the cork with adhesive tape by folding the tape over itself at the end to make it easier to remove later.
Moisten the mouthpiece with cold water, inside and outside.
Moisten the gloves with cold water and soap without rinsing
Rub soap on the inside and outside of the mouthpiece for a long time using the gloves Scrub the inside and outside being gentle around the baffle and facing
Scrub the inside and outside being gentle around the baffle and facing
Rinse the mouthpiece with cold water
If there are any lime deposits (beak, baffle), dip the toothbrush in a cup of white vinegar and gently rub the affected parts. Repeat several times if necessary.
If there are any traces of glue (beak), dip the toothbrush in a little cooking oil and gently rub the affected parts.
Rub soap onto the mouthpiece, gloves and toothbrush again, rinse everything making sure that you remove all traces of oil and soap on the mouthpiece
Dry the gloves and the mouthpiece using paper handkerchiefs that you then throw away in a closed bin.
For a clarinet mouthpiece, remove the adhesive tape (grease the cork)

WARNING
Never use hot water on an ebonite mouthpiece as this could result in discolouring the mouthpiece. For the same reason never put your ebonite mouthpiece in the dishwasher.

WARNING
For ebonite mouthpieces, we advise to use a mild soap or neutral pH cleaning gel to avoid discoloration.

WARNING
It is not recommended to dip an ebonite mouthpiece in white vinegar for more than 1 minute to avoid any discolouring.

WARNING
To remove traces of glue from the mouthpiece cushion, it is not recommended to use ethyl acetate or acetone based dissolvent, especially on the insert of a metal mouthpiece, which might not support it. Never mix a solvent, including alcohol, with bleach. This could result in the formation of toxic gases.

How to disinfect a clarinet of saxophone mouthpiece?

Disinfection is recommended each time a mouthpiece is exchanged between two musicians. Apart from this scenario, ordinary cleaning is normally sufficient. To clean a mouthpiece, see the chapter HOW TO CLEAN A CLARINET OR SAXOPHONE MOUTHPIECE

WARNING

– Disinfection should always be preceded by cleaning and rinsing –

A badly cleaned or badly rinsed mouthpiece, which still contains organic residues, lime deposits or traces of detergent, cannot be cleaned effectively. These residues can make the decontamination process inefficient.

By disinfection we mean that thereduction in the number of undesirable microorganisms is at such a level that the risk of transmission of an infection is considered to be almost zero in the context of normal use and by a person with no particular frailty. It is not a sterilisation that aims to supress all forms of life.

If you have good reason to believe that the mouthpiece may be contaminated by an infectious element, make sure that you prepare all the material before starting the disinfection process and identify surfaces and objects in contact that must subsequently be decontaminated.

WARNINGS CONCERNING BLEACH

Bleach irritates the skin, eyes and respiratory tracts. It is recommended that you wear gloves and protective glasses when handling this product. In all cases it is important to strictly comply with the precautions for use specified by the manufacturer found on the packaging.

Do not mix bleach with other products In particular, never mix bleach with vinegar or alcohol This could result in the formation of toxic gases..

For the disinfection of a metal mouthpiece (not gold-plated), make a preliminary test on a small surface to ensure the absence of oxidation (possible appearance of stains).The use of bleach is not recommended on stainless steel, aluminum and silver, in particular.

When using commercial bleach preparations, often sold as a spray, check that it does not contain any perfume or detergent type additives beforehand or that these additives are not harmful when they are present.

You will need:

Cold running water
Soap (liquid or a bar)
Small cup of white vinegar
Small cup of cooking oil
Large glass of water diluted to 1% a. c. (active chlorine), to be prepared 24 hours before the disinfection process (see table of dilution)
A used soft toothbrush (never use an abrasive pad in case they damage the mouthpiece)
An old reed or tooth-pick (wooden or plastic)
Paper handkerchiefs (do not use kitchen towels as they are too abrasive)
Disposable gloves (nitrile, latex or vinyl) and protective glasses
Adhesive tape and cork grease for clarinet mouthpiece

Steps:

The mouthpiece must be clean, without its cushion and you will always need gloves (see steps 1 to 14 above)
Immerse the mouthpiece completely into the glass of bleach diluted to 1% a. c. for 10 seconds, stirring gently.
Extract the mouthpiece and let it dry on a previously disinfected surface. Note down the time. It must now be left for 15 minutes.
During this time, unless you have other mouthpieces to treat, disinfect all surfaces which have been in contact with the mouthpiece or which you have touched during the process, as well as the toothbrush and any other objects that could have been contaminated by contact. Throw away the rest of the cooking oil and vinegar.
Remove the gloves, throw them away in a closed bin and take off the glasses.
After precisely 15 minutes, wash your hands with soap and water then carefully rinse the mouthpiece under running water for at least 20 seconds, inside and outside.
Dry your hands with a clean cloth and dry the mouthpiece with a paper handkerchief that should then be thrown away in a closed bin.
For a clarinet mouthpiece, dry it well then grease the cork.

WARNING

The biocidal activity of a bleach solution of 1% active chlorine, for 15 minutes at room temperature, works very well on almost all pathogenic microorganisms discovered to date (bacteria, mycobacteria, spores, moulds, yeasts and viruses). It is unnecessary and even dangerous to increase the chlorine concentration. It is unnecessary to increase the contact time, in particular for an ebonite mouthpiece, to avoid any discoloration.

Thermal disinfection of an ebonite mouthpiece is not recommended. Never expose your ebonite mouthpiece to a temperature higher than 60 ° C because you run the risk of permanently deforming the facing.

WARNING

Disinfecting an ebonite mouthpiece using UV irradiation is not recommended. Never permanently expose your ebonite mouthpiece to sunlight or any light source emitting UV radiation. Prolonged exposure to UV radiation is the main cause of ebonite discoloration.

Bleach degrades fast. Keep it away from heat and light and check the expiry date on the packaging. The solution diluted to 1% a. c. can be used for several mouthpieces but must not be kept for more than 24 hours.

How to prepare a chlorine solution of (approximately) 1% from bleach?

Main solution		Dilution required
% active chlorine (a.c.)	% sodium hypochlorite (NaClO)	Vol. bleach	Vol. water
2,6	2,73	1	1,5
3,6	3,78	1	2,5
4,8	5,04	1	3,5
5	5,25	1	3,5
9,6	10,07	1	7,5

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How to clean a clarinet or saxophone mouthpiece?

Coronavirus Questions / Answers: