Now is a good time to reinforce a healthy habit that students will need as long as they play an instrument. Regular cleaning of their instruments is important for health and safety, particularly now. It’s also necessary for the long-term care of instruments – ensuring they can keep making engaging sounds for years to come.
To help walk instrumentalists through the process, Pepper has created an instrument cleaning and care poster that is 24″ x 36″ in size and is perfect for any room where music is played. It includes general safety tips, steps to clean brass mouthpieces, and specifics on cleaning flutes, clarinets, and saxophones.
Portions of the poster are included below. These free 8.5 x 11 downloadable graphics include three of the five segments featured on the poster. Helpful cleaning products to follow these safety steps are listed on Pepper’s instrument care pages for brass, woodwinds, and strings.
Cleaning the Clarinet Mouthpiece
Step 1. Soak reed for 2-3 minutes in ½ hydrogen peroxide and ½ water, and then rinse.
Step 2. Find a small container that fits your mouthpiece and place tip down.
Step 3. Fill container with ½ water and ½ mild dish soap.
Step 4. Use a brush to remove residue from inside and outside surfaces.
Step 5. Rinse mouthpiece well with running water.
Step 6. Saturate mouthpiece with Sterisol then wipe dry with a paper towel.
Cleaning the Flute Head Joint
Step 1. Use a cotton swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol and clean around the embouchure hole.
Step 2. Use an alcohol wipe to kill germs on your flute’s lip plate.
Step 3. Use a silk cloth inserted into a cleaning rod to clean the inside of your head joint.
Cleaning the Saxophone Neck & mouthpiece
Step 1. Soak reed for 2-3 minutes in ½ hydrogen peroxide and ½ water, and then rinse.
Step 2. Use a swab, flexible bottle brush or toothbrush to clean inside the neck with mild soap and water.
Step 3. Use a mouthpiece, bottle, or toothbrush to remove any residue inside the mouthpiece.
Step 4 (Optional). Disinfect neck and mouthpiece with Sterisol germicide solution.
Step 5. Lay neck and mouthpiece out to dry on a paper towel and then place inside case.
For a complete list of cleaning products, visit Pepper’s instrument care webpage.
Will a pdf of the Staying Germ-Free in the Music Classroom be made available for brass mouthpieces?