How To Clean A Trombone Mouthpiece

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

ttf_anonymous: Posts: 0; Joined: Thu Apr 05, 2018 10:09 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

I have a mouthpiece that was given to me by a friend and the shank was just caked in grime and food matter I did the best I could with paper towels, soap, and hot water, but there is still a layer of nasty stuff stuck on the shank. Should I just buy a MP brush and scrub the junk out of it or does any one have any suggestions?

ttf_BGuttman: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:15 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_BGuttman » Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:45 pm

A soak in hot water with some dish detergent works well. Overnight if it's really cruddy. Not getting touched? Try something like Simple Green.

If you have a dishwasher, you could put it through a cycle. Put it on one of the tines for holding plates in place.

You can use a mouthpiece brush, but I have had good success with a baby bottle nipple brush. It also gets in there.

Good luck.

ttf_Scooter: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_Scooter » Thu Nov 10, 2011 1:47 pm

Quote from: Bassbone4life on Nov 10, 2011, 01:38PMI have a mouthpiece that was given to me by a friend and the shank was just caked in grime and food matter I did the best I could with paper towels, soap, and hot water, but there is still a layer of nasty stuff stuck on the shank. Should I just buy a MP brush and scrub the junk out of it or does any one have any suggestions?

I recommend that you soak it in soapy warm water. Defintely use a mouthpiece brush. I have also gotten great results from using a gentle non-abrasive silver polish cream. (About $5 at a hardware store)

I just received a vintage horn today with an in tact old mouth piece. I kid you not--- it looks like the guy ate caramels in 1951, played the trombone a bunch---then stuck the horn and mouthpiece in the closet for 60 years! [Mouthpiece is soaking now . . . . Yuk!]

ttf_bonearzt: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_bonearzt » Thu Nov 10, 2011 2:39 pm

HOT soapy water should dissolve the gunk, and a follow up with the brush.
You can also use a disinfectant mouthwash like Listerene or Scope as an added cleaning, but be sure to rinse well with hot water.

DO NOT use bleach!!!!!! That will trash the silver in a big hurry!!

I don't recommend the dishwasher route, that detergent is too harsh and sometimes contains pumice which will damage the finish.

The mouthpiece is the only thing on the horn you can and SHOULD clean with HOT HOT HOT soapy water on a REGULAR basis.

Thanks!

Eric

ttf_John Beers Jr.: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_John Beers Jr. » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:16 pm

Eric,

How do you go about polishing a mouthpiece out of curiosity? My Greg Black (like many Greg Blacks I've seen and some of the older Schilkes, I think it has something to do with the very high quality of the silver plating) has started to go a bit black, but I dislike the idea of A. taking material off of the mouthpiece that I love so dearly already, and B. putting abrasive chemicals where I put my mouth.

Should I just leave it as is?

ttf_BassBoneFL: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_BassBoneFL » Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:35 pm

I've found tooth paste to be a good mouthpiece cleaner. It removes gunk and tarnish. One probably shouldn't rub too vigorously on the exterior as tooth paste is a mild abrasive.... and it leaves your mouthpiece 'minty fresh'.

ttf_daveyboy37: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_daveyboy37 » Sun Nov 13, 2011 5:37 pm

If you've got an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, that should work well.

Or just a nice long soak in water with soap to help loosen the grime.

Another good thing to do is rinse out your mouthpiece, brush out the backbore, and dry it off EVERY time you put it away. That should prevent gunk from ever building up in the first place.

Also, as always, make sure you have brushed your teeth well since the last time you ate before you use your horn. Lots of food matter ends up stuck in your mouth and when you play, some will end up going into the mouthpiece, and then into the horn, where it helps those lovely nasty deposits in your slide grow faster.

ttf_DaveBb: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_DaveBb » Sun Nov 13, 2011 6:04 pm

For silver-plate:

Hagerty Silver Foam seems to do the job well but is a lot gentler than other silver cleaners like Goddard's liquid or silver cloth. It cleans up the surface without generating a lot of black residue which I think is the indicator of surface loss.

http://hagertyusa.com/silver/products/silver_foam.htm

It doesn't smell as unpleasant or as strongly as the more aggressive products. A quick rinse with some dishwash detergent and then clean water, then I can't smell or taste it on the mouthpiece.

Dave

ttf_mgladdish: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_mgladdish » Sat Aug 19, 2017 9:29 am

Don't know quite what the etiquette is here with bumping old threads, but does anyone have any advice on how to get this any more clean?

This is after I soaked it in boiling soapy water for 36 hours, then scrubbed it with a stiff brush and toothpaste.

What should I try next?

ttf_Geezerhorn: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_Geezerhorn » Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:35 am

I wonder what the techs will think of this: I soaked one like that in CLR and it dissolved all the mineral deposit build-ups. Then I washed it with hot soapy water and shined the mpc with some Wright's Polish. It didn't apparently hurt the mpc in any way that I could tell. Techs?

...Geezer

ttf_sabutin: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_sabutin » Sat Aug 19, 2017 10:50 am

Quote from: mgladdish on Aug 19, 2017, 09:29AMDon't know quite what the etiquette is here with bumping old threads, but does anyone have any advice on how to get this any more clean?

This is after I soaked it in boiling soapy water for 36 hours, then scrubbed it with a stiff brush and toothpaste.

What should I try next?

You could try a metal cleaner of some sort...silver cleaner if it's plated. (Remember to thoroughly clean out the chemical residue...I'd put it in a dishwasher myself.) If that doesn't work, it's probably corrosion. You could have a brass tech buff/chem-clean it, of course...it might ruin the m'pce, but on the other hand, it might make it better. Who ever really knows with these sorts of things until they're done?

Not me...

ttf_oslide: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:53 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_oslide » Sat Aug 19, 2017 11:11 am

I'd
|: deep freeze it and throw it into boiling water
Perhaps repeated temperature shocks will help destroy the incrustation.

ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_Full Pedal Trombonist » Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:43 pm

I don't know how mouthpieces get this bad. Or what gets in there that can't be dissolved by boiling water and soaking for 36 hours. Try metal polish, rubber gloves, and the hottest water you can handle while brushing out the inside with a mpc brush. And lots of elbow grease. If you have CLR go that route, too. As long as you can put it on your face and not get a bad reaction after and you can polish the finish back to how it should be I can't see the harm.

ttf_norbie2009: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_norbie2009 » Sat Aug 19, 2017 2:02 pm

Quote from: John Beers Jr. on Nov 10, 2011, 03:16PMEric,

Should I just leave it as is?

I use a Blitz silver polishing cloth. It has an inner and outer cloth sewed together. You rub the silver with the inner and then polish it with the outer. No nasty residue left over either. It works like a charm!

ttf_ChadA: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_ChadA » Sat Aug 19, 2017 2:18 pm

For completely non-abrasive polishing, I've done the tinfoil/baking soda/salt/boiling water thing. You can google and find many versions of how-to's. Of course, thoroughly rinse everything when you're done.

ttf_mgladdish: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_mgladdish » Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:27 am

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Aug 19, 2017, 10:35AMI wonder what the techs will think of this: I soaked one like that in CLR and it dissolved all the mineral deposit build-ups. Then I washed it with hot soapy water and shined the mpc with some Wright's Polish. It didn't apparently hurt the mpc in any way that I could tell. Techs?

...Geezer

That sounds like the next thing to try.

What's CLR?

ttf_Geezerhorn: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_Geezerhorn » Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:19 am

Quote from: mgladdish on Aug 21, 2017, 12:27AMThat sounds like the next thing to try.

What's CLR?

Available basically everywhere in the US. It's a somewhat caustic lime and scale remover solution, considered safe enough to sell over-the-counter in supermarkets, big-box stores, etc. I filled up a glass jar with it, dropped the mpc into it and watched it fizzle a little as it neutralized the lime/scale deposit build-ups inside the stem. It didn't seem to hurt my mpc, but I would advise trying it on a very used one that you could stand to lose to see if it reacts with the metal in any way.

I'm thinking this stuff is basically the same stuff techs use when they do a "chemical flush". Uh-oh. Did I just let the cat out of the bag? lol

I am also very careful to thoroughly wash the mpc off with hot, soapy water afterwards as well, so there won't be any fear of it chaffing my chops and to get the yucky smell off it.

I use it in my bathroom all the time to remove lime/scale build-up from around the tub faucet, etc.

...Geezer

ttf_mgladdish: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:58 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_mgladdish » Tue Aug 22, 2017 12:21 pm

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Aug 21, 2017, 04:19AMAvailable basically everywhere in the US. It's a somewhat caustic lime and scale remover solution, considered safe enough to sell over-the-counter in supermarkets, big-box stores, etc. I filled up a glass jar with it, dropped the mpc into it and watched it fizzle a little as it neutralized the lime/scale deposit build-ups inside the stem. It didn't seem to hurt my mpc, but I would advise trying it on a very used one that you could stand to lose to see if it reacts with the metal in any way.

I'm thinking this stuff is basically the same stuff techs use when they do a "chemical flush". Uh-oh. Did I just let the cat out of the bag? lol

I am also very careful to thoroughly wash the mpc off with hot, soapy water afterwards as well, so there won't be any fear of it chaffing my chops and to get the yucky smell off it.

I use it in my bathroom all the time to remove lime/scale build-up from around the tub faucet, etc.

...Geezer

I guess any old limescale remover will do, then. But first I'll need a backup mouthpiece just in case it all goes wrong (yes, I've got this far with only owning the one mouthpiece that came with the trombone when I bought it).

ttf_timothy42b: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:57 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_timothy42b » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:15 pm

Quote from: Geezerhorn on Aug 21, 2017, 04:19AM

I'm thinking this stuff is basically the same stuff techs use when they do a "chemical flush". Uh-oh. Did I just let the cat out of the bag? lol

...Geezer

It is, but they dilute it very precisely and also time the exposure. I suspect if you left a mouthpiece in there too long it would dissolve.

ttf_Geezerhorn: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:59 am

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_Geezerhorn » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:30 pm

Quote from: timothy42b on Aug 22, 2017, 01:15PMIt is, but they dilute it very precisely and also time the exposure. I suspect if you left a mouthpiece in there too long it would dissolve.

Really? Could you set up an experiment on an old mpc and get back to us when it is dissolved, please?

There are a whole list of disclaimers and cautions on the back of the container. I suggest anyone thinking about using it should read them first and then make their own decision, and/or experiment on an old piece first.

...Geezer

ttf_bonearzt: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:00 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_bonearzt » Wed Aug 23, 2017 6:57 am

Quote from: John Beers Jr. on Nov 10, 2011, 03:16PMEric,How do you go about polishing a mouthpiece out of curiosity? My Greg Black (like many Greg Blacks I've seen and some of the older Schilkes, I think it has something to do with the very high quality of the silver plating) has started to go a bit black, but I dislike the idea of A. taking material off of the mouthpiece that I love so dearly already, and B. putting abrasive chemicals where I put my mouth.Should I just leave it as is?
Hi John, sorry about the missed reply!!

An easy polish is with Hagerty's Silver polish & either a silver polish cloth or a soft rag, like an old t-shirt.

Then a quick scrub with soap & hot water.

If the tarnish is too heavy for the above, a quick, light zip on a buffing wheel with rouge will clean it up nicely.
A light touch won't affect anything.

Eric

ttf_BGuttman: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:15 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_BGuttman » Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:02 am

The MSDS Tim linked to lists lactic and gluconic acids. These are organic acids much like vinegar. While I wouldn't want to store a mouthpiece in the solution, I doubt that an extended soak will do a lot of damage -- neither has enough strength to dissolve silver metal, or even brass.

I'd be more concerned if there were mineral acids like hydrochloric or nitric. These can dissolve silver. Actually, hydrochloric will create a deposit of silver chloride, which is light sensitive and turns black in light. That's how photographic film works (does anybody remember photographic film? I used to make the stuff).

ttf_BGuttman: Posts: 0; Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 12:15 pm

Best way to clean a mouthpiece?

Post by ttf_BGuttman » Wed Aug 23, 2017 9:02 am

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