how do you sanitize a harmonica...

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Mike Henley

2003-12-18 18:48:13 UTC

i just bought a lee oskar major diatonic (c).. and although it's "new"
purchased from a music shop, i got the feeling the nice old man
would've probably let me test it as he showed it to me if i wanted
to... now i'm a little OCD about cleanlines.. so how can i disinfect a
harmonica...

can i soak it listerine... and if so for how long...

can i steam it... i have a steam cooker and i also have that jet steam
cleaning kit...

Barry Leamon

2003-12-18 21:23:30 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
i just bought a lee oskar major diatonic (c).. and although it's "new"
purchased from a music shop, i got the feeling the nice old man
would've probably let me test it as he showed it to me if i wanted
to... now i'm a little OCD about cleanlines.. so how can i disinfect a
harmonica...
can i soak it listerine... and if so for how long...
can i steam it... i have a steam cooker and i also have that jet steam
cleaning kit...

The easiest way to disinfect a harmonica it to drop it into some denture
cleaning solution for about 15 minutes. I don't know what the Listerine
would do to the brass, so I can't recoment that one.

--
Riding and Harpin for the SON
Barry Leamon

Winechef

2003-12-19 00:34:53 UTC

Permalink

I recommend wiping it down with plain vivegar. Then rewipe with water to
get rid of the taste. Allen

Post by Barry Leamon

The easiest way to disinfect a harmonica it to drop it into some
denture cleaning solution for about 15 minutes. I don't know what the
Listerine would do to the brass, so I can't recoment that one.

--
Wine chef of Sonoma County

smiles

2003-12-18 22:48:32 UTC

Permalink

Listerine won't hurt it. Even a bit of javex mixed in with warm water and a
touch of mild soap for washing dishes. In any event, rinse the harmonica
under the tap using warm water completely, shake out the water, blow a bit
with a hair dryer and let dry with the holes down.

Mike Henley

2003-12-19 02:10:47 UTC

Permalink

"smiles" <***@badsound.net> wrote in message news:<tcqEb.16959$***@wagner.videotron.net>...

oh dear... i'm steaming it right now...

i took the poor little thing apart and put it in the steamer... there
was no wood... just metal and plastic... and it's now sitting in the
steamer, being steamed... i'm not sure what the temperature of the
steam is but it's probably between a 100c and a 120c... i'm leaving it
there for 45mins... and i'll let you know what happened...

Joel

2003-12-20 16:46:13 UTC

Permalink

Meat needs to be cooked at 180 F for 10 min. You
are probably going overkill...

Post by Mike Henley
oh dear... i'm steaming it right now...
i took the poor little thing apart and put it in the steamer... there
was no wood... just metal and plastic... and it's now sitting in the
steamer, being steamed... i'm not sure what the temperature of the
steam is but it's probably between a 100c and a 120c... i'm leaving it
there for 45mins... and i'll let you know what happened...

Mike Henley

2003-12-19 00:57:32 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
can i steam it... i have a steam cooker and i also have that jet steam
cleaning kit...

thanks to all those who answered me... i'd much prefer to use steam
rather than chemicals... i opened the lee oskar major diatonic (c) and
there was no wood instead... all metal and plastic... i wonder if i
can put it in my steamer or steam it with a jet nozzle...

does anyone know... i'd much prefer to use steam rather than
chemicals...

Mike Henley

2003-12-19 01:02:28 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
can i steam it... i have a steam cooker and i also have that jet steam
cleaning kit...

Keith Adams

2003-12-19 02:36:23 UTC

Permalink

Mike I dont blame you for wanting your harps clean but steaming it's a
little going overboard.Germs can only live in an envirement that doesnt have
much leeway one way or the other as far as temperature,dampness and such
goes.You've had germs on ya in ya and around ya since the moment that
wiggelin sperm poked the egg.If I was you I'd be worrying about lack of
germs.Take em away and your body would probably react likeWhat The Hell and
you'd keel over stiffer'n a plank and deader'n a stump.

Pat Missin

2003-12-19 03:48:09 UTC

Permalink

Take it apart and let it air dry thoroughly. As Keith said, very few
noxious bugs can survive for long outside of a host body. The only
significant health risk is from a harmonica that is still warm and
damp after being played by someone else.

-- Pat Missin

***@freereed.net
www.patmissin.com

Ulrich Schramme

2003-12-19 05:09:41 UTC

Permalink

I suppose that it will go out of tune if you steam it. I always use
alcohol (90% min.) for cleaning harps.

--
-- Ulli
www.u-schramme.de

Mike Henley

2003-12-19 16:05:38 UTC

Permalink

Post by Ulrich Schramme

I suppose that it will go out of tune if you steam it. I always use
alcohol (90% min.) for cleaning harps.

okay... for the record... i steamed it...

i steamed it for an hour and half... the metal bits came out pristine
and nice... very very nice... however... the blastic core,
unfortunately melted and curled up... maybe i oughtta get an all metal
haromonica...

does anyone know an all metal harmonica... a diatonic c one...
equivalent to a lee oskar major diatonic c or the hohner special 20...

please...

radapaw

2003-12-19 17:45:56 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
does anyone know an all metal harmonica... a diatonic c one...
equivalent to a lee oskar major diatonic c or the hohner special 20...
please...

hohner Meisterklasse or suzuki proharps both have metal bodies...hope
you like spending $! occasionally a guy on ebay sells just bodies for MS
series hohner harps

radapaw

Ulrich Schramme

2003-12-19 18:12:40 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
i steamed it for an hour and half... the metal bits came out pristine
and nice... very very nice... however... the blastic core,
unfortunately melted and curled up... maybe i oughtta get an all metal
haromonica...
does anyone know an all metal harmonica... a diatonic c one...
equivalent to a lee oskar major diatonic c or the hohner special 20...
please...

Hohner Meisterklasse harps are all metal harps. Very expensive!

--
-- Ulli
www.u-schramme.de

smiles

2003-12-20 00:10:05 UTC

Permalink

Yes....heat and plastic do not go well together. You can buy some new metal
combs from Brett Chalfant of "bluemoonharmonicacombs". This person makes
combs for Hohner Special 20s, Pro Harps and Blues Harps but I don't think
for Lee Oskar but it is worth a shot since the combs are hand made and are
perfect. He makes the combs out of aluminum, brass, titanium. You can have
combs with round holes or square holes. I hope to buy one with round holes
shortly.

http://www.msnusers.com/bluemoonharmonicas/combs.msnw

Post by Mike Henley

Post by Ulrich Schramme

I suppose that it will go out of tune if you steam it. I always use
alcohol (90% min.) for cleaning harps.

okay... for the record... i steamed it...
i steamed it for an hour and half... the metal bits came out pristine
and nice... very very nice... however... the blastic core,
unfortunately melted and curled up... maybe i oughtta get an all metal
haromonica...
does anyone know an all metal harmonica... a diatonic c one...
equivalent to a lee oskar major diatonic c or the hohner special 20...
please...

Keith Adams

2003-12-20 05:33:16 UTC

Permalink

Man What a bummer Mike. Sorry to hear that. Hey man the next time you want
to kill some germs on your harps get you some water just starting to boil on
the stove, grab the comb with a pair of tongs like used in picking up hot
dogs off of a BBQ.Turn the fire off under the water then put the comb into
the water for 1 or 2 seconds only.Then rinse em in cool water right after
you take em out of the hot.If theres a germ that can live through that we're
all doomed.Hold on to the comb with the tongs so you aint struggling to grab
em out of the hot.

Post by Mike Henley

Post by Ulrich Schramme

I suppose that it will go out of tune if you steam it. I always use
alcohol (90% min.) for cleaning harps.

okay... for the record... i steamed it...
i steamed it for an hour and half... the metal bits came out pristine
and nice... very very nice... however... the blastic core,
unfortunately melted and curled up... maybe i oughtta get an all metal
haromonica...
does anyone know an all metal harmonica... a diatonic c one...
equivalent to a lee oskar major diatonic c or the hohner special 20...
please...

Mike Henley

2003-12-22 02:22:34 UTC

Permalink

Post by Keith Adams
Man What a bummer Mike. Sorry to hear that. Hey man the next time you want
to kill some germs on your harps get you some water just starting to boil on
the stove, grab the comb with a pair of tongs like used in picking up hot
dogs off of a BBQ.Turn the fire off under the water then put the comb into
the water for 1 or 2 seconds only.Then rinse em in cool water right after
you take em out of the hot.If theres a germ that can live through that we're
all doomed.Hold on to the comb with the tongs so you aint struggling to grab
em out of the hot.

actually... microbes survive that very very easily...

1 or 2 seconds only are nothing for microbes...

even boiling for 1 or 2 minutes would miss lots of microbes...

anyway, i thought about the meisterklasse... but i ended up ordering a
hohner special 20 from a relatively large web vendor that probably
won't be offering harmonicas to people to try them, as commonly
happens in shops....

Ulrich Schramme

2003-12-23 18:55:03 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
actually... microbes survive that very very easily...
1 or 2 seconds only are nothing for microbes...
even boiling for 1 or 2 minutes would miss lots of microbes...
anyway, i thought about the meisterklasse... but i ended up ordering a
hohner special 20 from a relatively large web vendor that probably
won't be offering harmonicas to people to try them, as commonly
happens in shops....

I´ve never seen a shop where you can try out a harp. The harps are
always tested with a thing named "Hohner Examina". It looks like a pair
of bellows.

--
-- Ulli
www.u-schramme.de

Mark S.

2003-12-22 00:30:07 UTC

Permalink

Post by Mike Henley
okay... for the record... i steamed it...
i steamed it for an hour and half... the metal bits came out pristine
and nice... very very nice... however... the blastic core,
unfortunately melted and curled up... maybe i oughtta get an all metal
haromonica...

If I were you I would just get a Special 20 and get some alcohol and
some q-tips and just swab out the front of the holes and the rest of the
front of the harp.

Mark S.

Fatwa Sam

2003-12-23 00:26:50 UTC

Permalink

Well, the old guys used to soak it in a glass of whiskey overnight......A
glass full of Irish will kill more germs than any bleach or steam....Or even
bleach that has been boiled into steam.....

Marc

2003-12-23 17:12:51 UTC

Permalink

I wonder if someone ever tried to kiss a girl.... (or a boy, depending...)
You soaked her in whiskey overnight ?!?! I never tried that... perhaps I
should... probably was never married then.
An idea for All Bundy...
Anyhow, I wish you all, a very merry Christmas from Antwerp, Belgium !!!

Post by Fatwa Sam

Well, the old guys used to soak it in a glass of whiskey overnight......A
glass full of Irish will kill more germs than any bleach or steam....Or even
bleach that has been boiled into steam.....

luc

2003-12-24 08:00:15 UTC

Permalink

Hey Marc,
In my recent past there were a few years that I myself was soaked in
Whiskey. Never been sick in those times... but... never kissed a girl
eather (or a boy for that matter)...
Merry Christmas from Meldert-Belgium you all.

Post by Marc
I wonder if someone ever tried to kiss a girl.... (or a boy, depending...)
You soaked her in whiskey overnight ?!?! I never tried that... perhaps I
should... probably was never married then.
An idea for All Bundy...
Anyhow, I wish you all, a very merry Christmas from Antwerp, Belgium !!!

Post by Fatwa Sam

Well, the old guys used to soak it in a glass of whiskey overnight......A
glass full of Irish will kill more germs than any bleach or steam....Or

even

Post by Fatwa Sam
bleach that has been boiled into steam.....