Posted by Stan Besaw (208.211.242.139) on May 22, 2000 at 17:48:10:
In Reply to: Re: Cleaning Harmonica posted by Al on April 26, 2000 at 19:40:04:
: : I have brought a plastic Harp, and want to know the ways of cleaning it. I've read that by soaking it in water or in alcohol, but wouldn't that make my harp rust? I have even read that ppl disamble their harp and clean it with a brush, but this method is not too appealing to me, b'cos I might damage the reels.
: : Can anyone offer some suggestions? Thanks
: I soak my hohner Cromonicas in warm soapy water for 30 min to an hour. rinse well ( that dishwashing soap tastes really bad) then shake well to get most of the water out. I carry my wallet in a front pocket and rap the harp against it. usually by now the water is out and I can play it a bit to make sure. Only one thing. the 12 key cromonica has a "wood finish" look on the back between the upper & lower covers, that went, and gave the harp a well used look. but it played great.
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There is no reason ever to soak harmonicas, especially Chromonicas which are chromatic harmonicas and have plastic wind saver valves. CHROMATIC HARMONICAS SHOULD NEVER BE SOAKED, EVER, IT WILL RUIN THEM. Standard diatonic harmonicas can be takened apart and cleaned carefully with warm water and an old toothbrush. If you need a cleaning solution you can use Hydrogen Peroxide, which is a non-toxic disinfectant that dentists use on peoples' mouths.
Bottomline, after almost 25 years of teaching and playing, my slogan is, "if it works, don't fix it". You may be just creating more problems. There is more information on this site (somewhere in the FAQS) on cleaning and repairing your harmonica and you will also find some info at the Hohner and Lee Oskar web sites. I hope this helps.
Stan