Re: [Harp-L] Listerine and Harps

[Jp "Pagán" <jpl_pagan@xxxxxxxxx>]

really, the best thing for everyone to do is whatever
makes them the most comfortable. if you can't eat off
a plate unless it's been through a radiation bath, so
be it. 

--- In harp-l-archives@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Denise Preston
<ichmach@xxxx> wrote:
> Elizabeth,
>  
> While in college Microbiology class, it was proven
through culturing >that Listerine is virtually useless
for killing germs. Alcohol, however is >comparatively
most effective for killing germs. 

if germs don't have moisture or warmth, then they will
die whether alcohol is present or not. most of us
don't store our harmonicas in warm, moist places. 

> For a plastic comb harp, disassemble it, wash the
parts in hot soapy water, soak them in alcohol, rinse
and soak in alcohol again, then reassemble.

why twice? 

> For a wooden comb harp, throw it in the trash can
and for goodness sake if you want a wooden harp, buy a
new one. Wood is porous and the inside of a harp is
warm and moist from your breath, an ideal environment
for bacterial growth. (Not as bad if it's your own,
but who wants to inhale someone else's germs from the
depths of their lungs?  Not me.)
>  

again, germs just don't last that long without a host
around. bacteria can, true, but without food or water
or heat, they'll die too. i honestly don't know what
to say about the wood situation. i'm sure lots of
people on this list have had marine bands they've
played for years which aren't all covered in green
fuzz, even they haven't washed them. most of us have
cutting boards. i sure don't soak my cutting boards in
alcohol and i have yet to give myself any kind of food
poisoning, which is loads worse than most of what's in
the average mouth. (and in the case that sparked all
of this, the wood comb is sealed, which leads me to
believe it is no longer porous)

look around the internet, on sites like the CDC and
others. you'll see most germs perish when outside
their host in mere hours. if you've bought a vintage
harp, or borrowed one your buddy had in drawer for the
past 6 months, chances are the most harmful thing on
that harp is a layer of dust and maybe a few dust
mites. 

i hate to harp on this, but it really seems some
people are too concerned about something our bodies
deal with nearly every minute of the day. any health
site will tell you that simply washing your hands in
soapy water is enough to protect you from alot of
germs (do you ask your kids to soak their hands in
alcohol after they've been on the playground? they've
got alot more germs than the average 2nd hand harp i'd
guess). i'm pretty sure i'm more likely to get sick
holding the rail on the subway than i am playing
someone's barely used harmonica. (playing a just used
harp is a different matter, of course.)

anyway... as i said before, to each their own. some of
us can't stand to drink from the same cup a someone
else, others of us kiss people we just met. the most
important thing though, is that we practice the
harmonica :)

    --Jp



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