Re: [Harp-L] Harp hygiene?

[Steve <moorcot@xxxxxxx>]

Shock horror, any unvalved harp of mine that is made of just metal and plastic gets washed under hand-hot flowing water as soon as I get in from playing. I don't want gunk drying on, which would make it much more difficult to remove. It just has to be a myth that this will cause corrosion. The harp is already damp/wet from playing and you're simply replacing dirty damp with clean damp. I've even found that this does not harm Hohner MS harps with wood combs, though I don't leave them soaking. Removable mouthpieces are removed every few sessions and thoroughly cleaned, otherwise the mouthpieces are wiped with a hot, damp cloth, or, if I'm worried (which isn't often), wiped with isopropyl alcohol. If I really must play with a cold, etc., I play only harps that can be washed under the tap. At all times it's good to avoid germ traps such as greasy lip balms, Vaseline or food in the mouth. In all cases, harps that have been cleaned in any of the above ways are thoroughly tapped out and left out to dry for as long as my missus will tolerate seeing them lying around. Days, usually. She's very understanding. Steve Shaw 
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