Mouthpiece hygiene

[jazzbluescat]

I was just wondering about how often, and how we clean our mpcs.

How many of us clean the slime off the beak of the piece after each use.
How many of us scrap it off real good just before using.
Are part scientist and use it sorta as a culture to see what'll grow and just how naturally musky the smell'll get.

I usually scrap mine off real good just before doing the deed.{I'll run hot warm water and brush it inside an' out 'bout time of the spring thaw and the end of summer.}

[Mike Ruhl]

I wipe out my mpcs after each use. Then every so often I give it a dip in a mic of water and bleach. I don't allow any crud to build up on them. I do the same with my reeds, but subsitute a hydrogen peroxide bath for the bleach treatment. I also wash out my necks periodically, with warm soapy water (I remove the octave key arm first). Sometimes for the necks I'll put some nicely scented anti-bacterial hand soap on my neck swap, and scrub it out. Leaves leaves the neck smelling very nice! :oops:

[jazzbluescat]

I wipe out my mpcs after each use. Then every so often I give it a dip in a mic of water and bleach. I don't allow any crud to build up on them. I do the same with my reeds, but subsitute a hydrogen peroxide bath for the bleach treatment. I also wash out my necks periodically, with warm soapy water (I remove the octave key arm first). Sometimes for the necks I'll put some nicely scented anti-bacterial hand soap on my neck swap, and scrub it out. Leaves leaves the neck smelling very nice! :oops:

Geeminee, meruhl; you ain't no fun. Heck, you're just a plain ole "goodie-two-shoes." :roll:

Ain't getting too much response; reckon I should have posed this "survey" over on the polls forum, insteada in the jokes?

[JimD]

Sorry, I do the same as meruhl. You just needed a special category for "too good for their own good" folks like us. I leave it to you to define.

[Big Nick]

My cleaning is a bit haphazard. After a gig I often can't be bothered.

I often give 'em a good old scrape while a student's going through his/her scales. Yeh, I know they should be getting my full attention but scraping don't take a lot of thought. I usually find a fingernail gets the worst of it off.

Do you find the crud builds up quicker on HR mpcs than it does on metal ones?

[Mike Ruhl]

Do you find the crud builds up quicker on HR mpcs than it does on metal ones?I wouldn't know.

:wink:

[alsdiego]

I periodically check the scrapings from my mpc under a microscope. If I can see anything moving, I know it's time to swab out the mpc.

:lol:

Al

[Stencilman]

Maybe there's some fun in how anal some folks are about cleaning their horns. For instance, here's my daily regiment:Wash hands for antibacterial soap before and after playing the sax
Rinse mouthpiece and reed before and after playing
After playing, swab the entire horn and neck with disposable wipes (either medical wipes or those used for cleaning gun barrels)
Use a wipe under every pad, especially on the "normally closed" keys
Wipe all touch points on the horn with a dry clothI actually go through this whole thing on each of the horns I play twice a day since I practice early in the morning and am in the studio at night. I have no idea when I got so paranoid. Ok, I'm weird - but my horns look and smell very nice!

[Mike Ruhl]

You win.

[jazzbluescat]

My cleaning is a bit haphazard. After a gig I often can't be bothered.

.......
Do you find the crud builds up quicker on HR mpcs than it does on metal ones?

Dunno. That's a good question.


Anyhow, I can say that a Link ligature is real fine for scrapping.

[Docax]

After every practice I dip the mouthpiece in the same ~80/20 water/mouthwash mix that I soaked my reed in before practicing, then wipe dry with a cotton rag.

After a (currently only occasional) gig, however, I worry about my saxes sitting precariously on their stands while people hurry about, disconnect gear, etc. So I leave the reed on and throw the mouthpiece into the case uncleaned.

[jazzbluescat]

Maybe there's some fun in how anal some folks are about cleaning their horns. For instance, here's my daily regiment:Wash hands for antibacterial soap before and after playing the sax
Rinse mouthpiece and reed before and after playing
After playing, swab the entire horn and neck with disposable wipes (either medical wipes or those used for cleaning gun barrels)
Use a wipe under every pad, especially on the "normally closed" keys
Wipe all touch points on the horn with a dry clothI actually go through this whole thing on each of the horns I play twice a day since I practice early in the morning and am in the studio at night. I have no idea when I got so paranoid. Ok, I'm weird - but my horns look and smell very nice!

Holy toledo, Stencilman! When do you find time to sleep?

I just thought of how you could git them pieces even "cleaner." Throw'em in the microwave after you hose'em down. If they're metal, enjoy the fireworks. :lol:

[pfox]

If you wait long enough, you don't need a microscope to see the moving critters on your mouthpiece.

[jazzbluescat]

If you wait long enough, you don't need a microscope to see the moving critters on your mouthpiece.

Which leads to suggesting donating the piece to a zoo, or maybe a research lab, or maybe a nature preserve. :lol:

[Peterk]

You guys are all classical musicians or work in the medical field or something right? Mouthwash? Anti-bacterial agent? Bleach? Hydrogen Peroxide? Geez. Where's your sense of adventure???

I wipe the reed crud off on my pants. I let the neck air-dry without doing anything at all. The mouthpiece _sometimes_ gets scrubbed (if I'm in a good mood).

Bottom line is I get to my post-practice, post-rehearsal, post-gig celebration drink before all of you neat freaks.

[Big Nick]

Excellent!
A fine sense of priorities.

[colibri]

I leave the reed on my mouthpiece. When the old reed no longer vibrates, it'll come off and it's time to wash out the mouthpiece.

[Mike Ruhl]

You guys are all classical musicians or work in the medical field or something right? Mouthwash? Anti-bacterial agent? Bleach? Hydrogen Peroxide? Geez. Where's your sense of adventure???

I wipe the reed crud off on my pants.
And you probably work at McDonald's...

[Stencilman]

jazzredcat wrote:Holy toledo, Stencilman! When do you find time to sleep? It only takes about 5 minutes to do all that. Not a big sacrifice after a 2 hour session.

Back in my college days our jazz ensemble practiced at 1pm. Since there was only a 30 minute break before practice, a bunch of us would head over to Taco Bell right before practice. You can't imagine the disgusting crud we blew inside our horns. After several weeks of this routine our lead trumpet player literally couldn't play a note due to the slime in the tubing of his horn. We ended up just blowing off that day's rehearsal time with a show and tell session and then brought in buckets of warm soapy water to clean our mouthpieces, necks, etc. The grossest thing I've seen in my life :shock:

If I didn't have such pretty horns I might not go overboard to keep them so clean. Both my Martin alto and soprano were made in 1928 and look as good as the day they were manufactured. Not a scractch or dent. I know it won't last forever since accidents do happen. I've had two repair techs ask me who replated my horns. They flip when I tell them that they were closet horns.

Ok, rambling mode off.

[Peterk]

And you probably work at McDonald's...

Nah. I've just got nice crud. Almost invisible after it's rubbed in.

a bunch of us would head over to Taco Bell right before practice.

Sounds like some people need to learn to brush after meals!

Mind you...there's no reason a mouthpiece or neck should not have a crud filter just like a drain on a kitchen sink does to facilitate cleanup after such careless practice sessions. Off to my workshop.

[kcp]

Peter, Why am I not suprised to see you winding-up in here? :lol:

Disclaimer: Even though Peter is a good friend of mine and plays in my band, I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE for anything that he says or does... hmmm on sencond thought, I am not responsible for anything anyone in my band says or does.

Anyway, I am NOT guilty 8)

[Mike Ruhl]

So is his equipment as grungy as he would have us believe? :wink:

[kcp]

No,

He's just trying to be a tough "grungy" guy :lol:

[woodwindmaster06]

I soak my metal one in warm water for 4 or 5 minutes each month, and wipe off my hard rubber one.

[clem]

Stencilman: Do you use Hoppe's #9 on those gun bore patches?

[jazzbluescat]

And you probably work at McDonald's...

Nah. I've just got nice crud. Almost invisible after it's rubbed in.........

Mind you...there's no reason a mouthpiece or neck should not have a crud filter just like a drain on a kitchen sink does to facilitate cleanup after such careless practice sessions. Off to my workshop.

Wouldn't it be neat if they'd invent a crud filter that fit over the bell to catch some of the crud before we have to hear it(?). We could call it the Kenny G filter. :twisted: