[augustgarage]

Hello.

What is the best way to clean / disinfect a head-joint? Swab lightly with alcohol (which should then evaporate), wait, swab lightly with water, dry with clean handkerchief?

Thanks.

 

[spartacus]

Hello.

What is the best way to clean / disinfect a head-joint? Swab lightly with alcohol (which should then evaporate), wait, swab lightly with water, dry with clean handkerchief?

Thanks.

I use to soak mine in 3 percent hydrogen peroxide. Alcohol does weird stuff to metal.
(get it at drugstore)

 

[Ferret]

I like to clean around where my mouthpiece is with mouthwash after normal cleaning... tastes better in the end. :]

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

Cleaning: Bottle brush and hot water, maybe a little detergent.
(Shouldn't really be needed. Just swab it dry after use... I hope you are not blowing food, saliva and dead mouth lining tissue down the flute!!)

Disinfecting? I don't think you will catch anything from playing a flute, that you wouldn't more likely catch from eating utensils at a restaurant or at home, or from the tap you turn off after washing at a toilet, or a door handle, or your finger, or indeed the air you breathe when near other people.....

Just don't lick all over the head, or suck damp stuff out of it, or clean the embouchure hole with your tongue!

And don't work yourself neurotic about micro-organisms in our environment. Our bodies have evolved to deal with them very effectively. And there is now evidence suggesting that if our immune systems do not have plenty to do, especially during childhood, then it malfunctions, causes problems such as asthma.

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

"I use to soak mine in 3 percent hydrogen peroxide."
How good is hydrogen peroxide for the crown cork?

 

[bruce bailey]

Yuck, probably would stink for months soaked into the cork! To remove the cork, unscrew the crown a bit, push in until it moves. Take a wooden dowel and press it through the lower (body end) of the head. To replace, insert from the body end. The head is tapered and the cork assembly should NOT be removed via the crown end.

 

[augustgarage]

The Germs

Cleaning: Bottle brush and hot water, maybe a little detergent.
(Shouldn't really be needed. Just swab it dry after use... I hope you are not blowing food, saliva and dead mouth lining tissue down the flute!!)

Disinfecting? I don't think you will catch anything from playing a flute, that you wouldn't more likely catch from eating utensils at a restaurant or at home, or from the tap you turn off after washing at a toilet, or a door handle, or your finger, or indeed the air you breathe when near other people.....

Just don't lick all over the head, or suck damp stuff out of it, or clean the embouchure hole with your tongue!

And don't work yourself neurotic about micro-organisms in our environment. Our bodies have evolved to deal with them very effectively. And there is now evidence suggesting that if our immune systems do not have plenty to do, especially during childhood, then it malfunctions, causes problems such as asthma.

I'll try the bottle brush and hot water (I always swab the inside really well and polish the outside when I am done playing), or maybe I'll just hold the lip plate over some boiling water for a few moments (a little steam ought to do the trick).

I am not really concerned about catching something from the flute, but I feel like I might be coming down with something , and I'd rather not pass it on (I share the flute I play).

Food and woodwinds do not belong together. :brush:
Dead lip tissue? Not that I've noticed. Saliva? Well, there is condensation inside the flute when I've been practicing for an hour, but I'm not spitting into the hole if that's what you mean...

I was mainly just curious because I have cleaned clarinet mouthpieces before (I've played for 13 years), but not flute head-joints (I've played for 3 weeks).

 

[Gordon (NZ)]

I share flutes with all my cusotomers. No big deal as far as my health is concerned. I don't share clarinet mouthpieces, though.

For clarinet mouthpieces denture cleaner is possibly as good as anything, without wrecking the mouthpiece. Otherwise the cleaner from Doctors Products. http://www.doctorsprod.com/DrsProduct.html

 

[marian305]

use a cleaning rod (should come with the flute if not they're dead cheap) and wrap some gauze (or any clean absorbent cloth) around it then use that to clean the headjoint, main body and footjoint to get rid of any condensation etc. Then once in a while wipe the outside of your flute with a clean dry cloth to get rid of dust and fingerprints. If you do this regularly your flute shouldn't need disinfecting. NEVER give your flute a bath! the pads'll get ruined. If they're sticky get some powder paper or use lighter fluid and cigarette paper to clean it. If you've got an old flute it's worth having it stripped down and clean professionally.