A Warning to Clean Bagpipes???

[Ciarameddaru]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/19/healt ... QRAPuA6UAA&

Is this something that non-Scottish pipers need to be concerned about? I'm wondering if this is the result of using synthetic bags with cat litter or if this is something that can also affect a goat hide bag as well? Does the salt/alum or copper sulfate not kill this stuff in a traditional bag?

[CHasR]

I believe youre quite safe with that green goat of yours. However, keep the blowpipe clean...hot soap & water, disinfecting wipes, just common sense stuff.

Synthetic bags of GHB's, (especially those with water traps) act like a warm, dark, moist petri dish. An effective blowpipe valve is, of course, the best & first line of defense against bag-borne infections.

Something dosent *quite* add up about the dude in the article, for me. If he's 70 , & been playing since his teens, surely some basic hygene routine had been in practise during his earlier years, regardless of hide or synth bag. I think he just, well... got lazy & said the heck with it. But thats just me.

[Dominic Allan]

It's an urban myth that pops up every couple of years.

[bogman]

After 35 years of playing I've only ever cleaned the blowpipe of my pipes and I've never came to any har.......rghhhh...