Tech/maintenance Sterisol inside the horn?

[wooster]

Greetings chums,

I have a slightly specific (?) question about cleaning the sax.

I give both body and mouthpiece a dry with a pull-through and cloth after most sessions of playing. Every week or two I use sterisol to spray the mouthpiece and reeds I've used, leave it a minute or two then rinse off and dry.

Recently I've contemplated spraying some sterisol on the pull-through to clean the inside of the sax but as I wouldn't be able to rinse it off as I do with mouthpieces I wonder if this is a really bad idea re the corks, or indeed if I used sparingly a really pointless idea. Also I wonder if cleaning the neck with sterisol sprayed on the cloth in this way might be good. Maybe I should just do what I currently do and be happy.

I have seen pieces of advice online ( and an older thread on here ) that suggest IPA might be useful to spray. I wondered if any consensus had been reached about this.

 

[Pete Thomas]

Maybe I should just do what I currently do and be happy.

Yes. That option

I have seen pieces of advice online ( and an older thread on here ) that suggest IPA might be useful to spray.

Better to just drink it.

 

[turf3]

Well, first off, what IS "Sterisol" made of?

I'm not sure there's any value in making efforts to "disinfect" the interior of a saxophone anyway. Most "disinfecting" is a waste of time.

When my mouthpieces start looking yucky, I wash them in the sink with hand soap and cold water. That's it.

 

[Nick Wyver]

Clean a sax?

Whatever next?

 

[mizmar]

What problem are you trying to solve?

 

[cappers]

I give both body and mouthpiece a dry with a pull-through and cloth after most sessions of playing. Every week or two I use sterisol to spray the mouthpiece and reeds I've used, leave it a minute or two then rinse off and dry.

Sterisol? It's a germicide (D-isobutyl-phenoxy-ethoxy-ethyl-1-di methyl-benzyl-ammonium -chloride in distilled water). I know Dawkes and others sell it for sax but to me I think its not necessary.

You said you use the swab 'after most sessions', I might suggest every session. Rince the mouthpiece in cold water. If getting calcium build up a toothbrush and some non-abrasive toothpaste works without causing damage.

If the horn is really dirty/sticky/gunky then warm water and mild soap would be my bet.
IPA is quite an aggressive solvent so I'd avoid it. Assuming you mean Iso Propyl Alcohol and not Indian Pale Ale which I wouldn't avoid, just not use it as a sax cleaner 😉

 

[mizmar]

germicide

Really!? I'm not sure about this germ theory business for saxophones.
If the sax is playing poorly, it's probably due to excess yellow bile, or possibly green depending if the sound is melancholic or phlegmatic. Plop a couple of leaches on overnight, to rebalance the humors

 

[skeller047]

Plop a couple of leaches on overnight, to rebalance the humors

The places I play, there are enough leeches, thank you. Some of them need THEIR humor rebalanced too..

 

[PigSquealer]

A good India Pale Ale for keeping evil spirits out ☠️

 

[Colin the Bear]

Isn't brass itself antimicrobial?

I thought it was wooden clarinets that gave you "woodwind lung".

 

[cappers]

Isn't brass itself antimicrobial?

I thought it was wooden clarinets that gave you "woodwind lung".

Yes, the copper and zinc in brass has broad spectrum antibacterial action in as much as bugs can't use it as a substrate. ***

*** Unless they are certain strains of sulphate reducing bacteria and acid producing bacteria but these prefer airless environments.

Anyone interested here's a paper on microbial induced corrosion of steel; similar principles to copper.

 

[Wonko]

I would not use any kind of désinfectant on any part of the saxophone. Unless there is a very specific reason (like having lent your saxophone top somebody with a bad cough).
Normally getting rid of excess moisture inside the saxophone and cleaning the mouthpiece and reed with water is enough.

You can take the advice from cappers as expert advice since he has a background in microbiology.
Ps: I have a similar background, but in my case it is dormant.

 

[mizmar]

Two sax playing microbiologist and yet neither of you spotted that I erroneously attributed phlegmatic sounding sax to green bile. Obviously it's due to an excess of phlegm.

I don't know what they teach people, these days.

 

[PigSquealer]

I don't know what they teach people, these days.

Reading and computer skills. The basic needs of how to search AI.

 

[mizmar]

The basic needs of how to search AI.

And what do they teach the AI 😶

 

[cappers]

Two sax playing microbiologist and yet neither of you spotted that I erroneously attributed phlegmatic sounding sax to green bile. Obviously it's due to an excess of phlegm.

I don't know what they teach people, these days.

Fair point but Cold Wind can dry out Phlegm turning it to Green Bile or even Black Bile 😱
If ones Middle and Lower Jiao are working properly all should be ok but avoid Damp to prevent Qi Stagnation of the Zang Fu! Got to focus on the Dan T'ien for a good sound!!! 😳😉
Going to put my sax in the autoclave, no bugs for me!

 

[PigSquealer]

And what do they teach the AI 😶

Depends on who’s selling the products.
Snake oil is on sale today !!🐍

 

[Dr G]

Depends on who’s selling the products.
Snake oil is on sale today !!🐍

Make my snake oil “Extra Virgin”, please. The first pressing is so much more unctuous.

 

[cappers]

Fair point but Cold Wind can dry out Phlegm turning it to Green Bile or even Black Bile 😱
If ones Middle and Lower Jiao are working properly all should be ok but avoid Damp to prevent Qi Stagnation of the Zang Fu! Got to focus on the Dan T'ien for a good sound!!! 😳😉
Going to put my sax in the autoclave, no bugs for me!

As I'm in oooby-doooby mode, forget the autoclave, far too resource hungry.

I'll place some healing crystals in the bell and mpc and let their natural cosmic crystal energies cleanse and purify the sax.

Who knows, might influence my tone. Emeralds for brightness, amethyst for darkness, diamond for altissimo.....

 

[wooster]

Thank you all for your advice and it seems the group has answered my question. To be honest this crossed my mind because I had a nasty chesty thing going on and I was wondering what I was blowing into my sax and if it was likely to linger. I will trust to my Yamaha's broad spectrum - bug - zapping qualities. I had no idea but it's a pretty good bonus! 😀