I've had more than my usual number of colds this year and am wondering if it may be attributed to harp playing. How does everyone clean their harps, how often, ect and do you think not cleaning them regularly could cause me to have more colds? This is a serious question - try not to beat me up too bad.
I was just reading an article on Slate about replacing toothbrushes after colds. It seems the toothbrush companies say you should but by the time you've fought off a cold you are pretty resistant to that strain, and that strain is what will be in your harp. Now, if you share your harp, all bets are off. Staff infections like strep may be a different story though. I'd imagine that applies to harps too.
Covers in particular though get a lot of dead skin stuck on them. Cleaning them off with a polishing cloth will keep them smoother. Gunk on the inside of your harp actually seals up (yuck) some of the gaps and can make your harp MORE responsive!
I clean my covers regularly, and get any of the crud from the holes with a polishing cloth and a craft stick (a heavy toothpick). Hold the harp up so the holes are facing the floor and scrape the stuff you can see off. It's important to hold it that way so the crud doesn't fall back into the harp. Blow through it from the wrong side when your done. That should keep you from inhaling any crud.
Harps in general are good for your breathing. They are even used for treating asthma.
I've seen this asked before but I don't really understand the concern. Yes you are blowing germs into your harps but your body has already fought that bug off and is basically immune to it. If you don't worry about sterilizing your cell phone and other stuff you touch and hold at your face/mouth after you've been sick I don't know why you would worry about the harp. I do clean my harps though, just because, but I wouldn't worry about reinfecting myself with a bug after I've already had it.
---------- It's MUSIC, not just complicated noise.
You can do a quick soak in white vinegar, a couple of minutes. You will see that it works by what is left in your cleaning container, I don't think you'll be making any salad dressing with this. After soaking rinse under running water, and the shake the water out by flicking your wrist. Try placing some paper in front of the harp when shaking it out so you can hear when it is dry. I play my harps for less than a year then replace the reeds plates so I don't know if there is a long term problem with doing this. I would guess unsealed wood combs and vinegar are not helpful to the comb.
Get some mouthpiece spray from the local band store...spary and wipe. Otherwise, ultrasonic cleaners work great for removing gunk.
If you are talking just sanitary, though, some alcohol, often found in mouthpiece cleaner for horn instruments, etc, is typical. ---------- Mike Quicksilver Custom Harmonicas Updated 2/1/11
Jason Ricci has a video on cleaning your harps and in the video he addresses the sick thing. I personally wouldn't use purple Kaboom on my harmonica but w/e. I picked up a handy little cleaning kit from Turbo Harps and it even comes with directions if you need em. So here's that video. Again, I'm not too hot on the Kaboom idea but thats just me.
By the way, when it comes to the question of when you should clean them, I would say you will know. If you don't know and you still wanna clean them then go ahead but when you know, you know.
---------- Be safe, keep the faith, and don't let em tearrrrrr ya down.
Last Edited by on Feb 16, 2011 7:58 PM
I've adopted a regime of regularly stripping my harps and giving them a thorough clean using steradent denture tablets and then washing in dishwashing detergent then a rinse. I hang the parts on a line in the shade using paper clips. I have found that harps that sounded a little flat respond by sounding good as new. It must remove some build up on the reeds.
This works for most modern harps ie wouldn't try it with a wooden harp.
A note of caution. I always mark the reedplates with a permanent marker as without any markings it's a jigsaw trying to reassemble. I recently purchased a different brand of denture tablet -polident & found that it dissolved the permanent marker & made it a nightmare trying to reassemble 2 harps an A & C. Difficult enough to work out which was top or bottom but I finally got it sorted.
"but your body has already fought that bug off and is basically immune to it"
This only applies to viruses. If you are dealing with bacteria, you can get another infection. Common example is Streptococcus.
A good way to deal with this is to get isopropyl alcohol at the drug store. Dismantle your harp and dip it in the isopropanol for a bit. Don't leave wood combs in there too long and make sure to let them dry!
*Edit* Some plastics are soluble in alcohol (not sure about sealants but best be safe about it). Better way to wash combs is to give it a quick dip and then rinsing it.
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2011 5:54 AM
Mine get super-funky, so I clean them all once every couple of months, sometimes more if one starts acting 'sluggish'. I clean my reed plates with Barkeeper's Friend and a toothbrush-they come out shinier than new. Then I rinse them and my combs(plastic and the sealed wood ones) with water, then a solution of Dr. Tichenor;s to clean and sanitize them. ---------- Todd, the conservatively liberal moderate of the moderators Eudora and Deep Soul
Last Edited by on Feb 17, 2011 7:53 AM
"I've had more than my usual number of colds this year and am wondering if it may be attributed to harp playing. How does everyone clean their harps, how often, ect and do you think not cleaning them regularly could cause me to have more colds? This is a serious question - try not to beat me up too bad."
Do not worry about playing when you have a cold.
You CANNOT catch a cold that you already had. Unlike what some vacuum guys may tell you. The one thing to worry about would be mucus.
I use Cillit Bang and a toothbrush on the reed plates and cover plates, rinse under the tap then soak them in dentural (dilute denture cleaner) for 10 mins. Rinse again and dry.
Can't say I'm really concerned about germs and stuff (No-one else plays my harps.) I don't see how you could 'infect yourself' but hey, I'm no doctor!
You play your harps, honey When your nose is runny. You may think it's funny, But it's snot. ---------- Todd, the conservatively liberal moderate of the moderators Eudora and Deep Soul
@littleeasy You know it might not be you or your harps.I get a lot of hand shakes when I play out and on Sunday morning at church. I caught a cold a few weeks ago. I had been telling myself I need to wash my hands before I play. Well that did it. I keep a bottle of germX on my music stand now. I use it before I put my hands near my mouth or nose. Just make sure it's dried before you start playing, the fumes are ruff! I read an article before that the way colds and the flu are spread is mostly thru hand to mouth/nose contact. Just my 2 cents. Mike
I only use mouthwash and then let it dry out naturally for a day or two.
Should you ever rinse a complete harp, or reed plates in water??? I have been told you should NEVER do this, but, there seem to be those that do and those that don't....
Sausage-I do this occasionally with my plastic-combed harps. Not as thorough as a take-down cleaning, but it works in a pinch. I either put a little mouthwash or Dr. Tichenor's in the water to make them minty fresh and disinfect them. Just tap them dry on a bath towel afterwards. ---------- Todd, the conservatively liberal moderate of the moderators Eudora and Deep Soul
Last Edited by on Feb 22, 2011 8:30 AM
Something I have found very useful is Kendall Webcol Skin Cleansing Alcohol Wipes. I purchased a pack of 500 ca 12 months ago. These are available from Pharmacies and are fairly cheap in reasonable quantities. They are used by doctors to steralise the skin prior to giving an injection. I wipe my harps with them ie one will do a number of harps. It freshens them up and keeps the coverplates and mouthpiece clean. I always keep a small number of wipes in my kit.
play your harp with a clean mouth and less chance of build up of sticky mouth juice.a little deeper,call on the power of soul,[truth,beauty & goodness]too fill the harp with tonal vibrations...some only see with their eyes others can close their eyes and see a taste of eternal,then young and old don`t seem the same...it puts the unk in the funk...if u believe...
The video jason made and the one I made were for cleaning dirty harps, like harps you get on ebay, or in Jason's case his harps were in humidity a lot, gigged with several times a week, then stowed in his case with all this other equipment in that van he had. In normal circumstances, all you need is a small amount of windex to get the covers sparkling. For the inside, rinse with warm tap water. If you rinse out your mouth before you play, that's all you will ever need to do. ----------
"There are only two things money can't buy - true love and homegrown tomatoes." - Lewis Grizzard
i use purell hand santizer with good results - unless someone tells me i'm now a ticking time bomb from some dreaded ingredient i've digested? ---------- ~Banned in Boston!
Not only do you shake someones hand and then start holding something in your mouth, but after you've been playing and someone shakes your hand you are probably handing them a handful of germs. Hygienically speaking playing harmonica is similar to sneezing into a handkerchief.
