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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! > Cleaning wood combs
Cleaning wood combs
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Tom585
103 posts
Aug 30, 2019
9:56 AM
I remember when wood combs swelled if they got wet, even from playing. I also know wood combs are now treated so they don't swell and last a long time. So is it safe to submerge them in water for cleaning, or do we still need to be cautious?
florida-trader
1445 posts
Aug 30, 2019
11:29 AM
Safe to "Submerge them in water"? I would say yes, but don't allow them to soak. There is no reason to. Get them wet. Scrub them clean with a toothbrush and some dishwashing detergent. Maybe scrape off some of the stubborn crusty stuff with a knife edge. Then dry them off. You should not have any issues with them swelling or warping.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Tom585
104 posts
Aug 30, 2019
12:15 PM
Thanks, Tom. That is what I thought.

While I have you on the line, Tom ... What do you think of those small jewelry cleaner machines that are also marketed for cleaning harps? Small motor, submerge in water for five minutes or so.

Last Edited by Tom585 on Aug 30, 2019 12:19 PM
dougharps
2009 posts
Aug 30, 2019
12:40 PM
I have one I have used a couple of times on plastic combed harps, NOT wood. I still had to do hand work on the comb and plates. The ultrasonic cleaners unfortunately are not a magical way to avoid grungy cleanup work. I think it is probably quicker and more effective to clean as Tom suggests.

I may try my ultrasonic cleaner again sometime, but so far it doesn't seem to have been worth the purchase and the time it takes to finish cleaning by hand.

We tried it on jewelry, too, and the following time my wife cleaned the jewelry by hand.
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Doug S.

Last Edited by dougharps on Aug 30, 2019 12:42 PM
dchurch
274 posts
Aug 30, 2019
4:03 PM
According to Hohner the MB 1896 is double lacquered and the MB Deluxe is triple lacquered. That is pretty thin for long term soaking, especially with so much end grain involved.

I like cleaning sealed wood combs over a sink of warm water for frequent swishing and rinsing like brushing teeth. For non-sealed wood I use Everclear and seal the comb after its first cleaning and flat sanding.

x2 A toothbrush (powered) and scraping tool (dental instrument).

Favorite detergent: Dr. Bronner's Liquid Peppermint Soap from the heath food department.

I also like using toothpaste (or wet baking soda) especially for reed plates. I clean plates flat on a piece of glass placed on a towel. Avoid sparkle toothpastes because they contain tiny bits of plastic or something that will stick between reeds... It doesn't take long to figure out how to safely clean reeds/slots with the tooth brush.

The ultrasonic that I have does a nice job but it's not good for wood combs IMO. I add peppermint soap or alcohol to the water. I normally set the temperature to 100 F and set the timer for 20 minutes. If the harps are real nasty I do two cycles with some light brushing between cycles. I rarely run the ultrasonic for less that a half dozen harps. It has 3 coils and it is pretty noisy but I get plenty of use out of it for other cleaning.

A small ultrasonic might be handy but it would work best on a strict keep them clean type of schedule IMO.

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It's about time I got around to this.
jbone
3000 posts
Aug 30, 2019
4:46 PM
Most times I do a warm water gentle rinse and tap out, then maybe wrap in a paper towel to absorb more water. Then play. I disassemble sometimes but when I go that far I use 91% isopropyl alcohol, a little soak and then clean up, rinse, dry, put back together.
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florida-trader
1446 posts
Sep 03, 2019
6:15 AM
Sorry for the delayed response Tom585.

I assume you are referring to ultrasonic cleaners. Asdougharps and dchurch have mentioned, they are a good tool to have but it is not a panacea. In other words, nobody should expect to put a well used harp, meaning it is most likely caked with dried saliva and other foreign materials, into an ultrasonic cleaner, push a button, an Voila! Out pops a perfectly clean harmonica. Doesn't work that way. For the most part, I use my ultraconic cleaner to clean the residue from the chemicals I use to clean the reed plates by hand. Most often, I just use Dawn dishwashing detergent to clean reed plates and combs. I also use BarKeeper's Friend Spray Foam if I want to remove tarnish. That stuff leaves a filmy residue on the reed plate and reeds. I will then use the ultrasonic cleaner with a mixture of 1 part vinigar to 3 or 4 parts water to clean the residue off the plates. I rarely if ever put combs into the ultrasonic cleaner. Mostly it is just reed plates where you have hard to reach little corners at the base of the reed slots.
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Tom Halchak
Blue Moon Harmonicas
Blue Moon Harmonicas
dougharps
2012 posts
Sep 03, 2019
8:00 AM
Tom, I like the idea of the ultrasonic cleaner as the last step and not first. I would never soak wood combs, even if they are sealed. Why risk comb swelling if there is a spot not completely sealed? You can clean up a comb without immersion.

I have never tried using vinegar, but I have added some bottled lemon juice to the water in the ultrasonic cleaner.
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Doug S.
Caitlin P
1 post
Sep 06, 2019
10:14 PM
Just be careful when you scrub the comb. I was working on one of mine and snapped the second tine clean off. I wasn't even pressing that hard. Thankfully, some wood glue, time and sandpaper fixed it. But yah, don't be me.

Last Edited by Caitlin P on Sep 06, 2019 10:15 PM
nacoran
10167 posts
Sep 08, 2019
12:46 PM
Caitlin, I've snapped a couple combs... I've discovered too, that if you have spare combs sitting around in a drawer it's better to have them sandwiched between some reed plates for protection even if the reed plates are junk than having them in there loose! And never use a good comb as a template when you are trying to drill out a reed plate!... although I think there might be a market for stainless steel jigs for converting MBs to screws!

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Nate
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