What to Use to Disinfect Whistles?

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 2:49 am

Every so often when I hear of shops that allow potential customers to try whistles or when I receive a whistle from a place that seems a little suspect, my mind turns to whistle disinfectants. Last year, I asked a friend who plays clarinet well enough to be an orchestra principal what she uses on her mouthpieces. Her answer was: nothing. That despite the fact that she admitted reinfecting herself with viral and bacterial infections from playing the clarinet.

Well, after asking a few whistlers and sax players and still coming up blank, I started asking around in shops from time to time. I finally came up with a likely looking product—Conn Mouthpiece Freshener—produced by the makers of, amongst other things, very reputable saxophones.

Now, the salesman made no promises about the product actually disinfecting, rather than rendering me marginally more kissable during and after playing than I might otherwise be. Nor did he make any guarantees that wooden mouthpieces would survive the Conn treatment.

So this is what the label says about the ingredients in so far as I can read them in its rapidly decomposing state. Active ingredients: diisobutylphenoxythoxyethyl, dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride monohydrate 0.6% (presumably collectively). Inert ingredients (unspecified); 99.94%

Now that looks to me as though it's meant to disinfect. Am I right about that? Would this be OK for use on plastic, metal and delrin mouthpieces? Would you use this on a wooden mouthpiece? Is there a better product out there and, if so, what is it and how do we get it?

CHIFF FIPPLE · Post by **CHIFF FIPPLE** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:05 am

Mouth wash

Zubivka · Post by **Zubivka** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:06 am

Plastic, metal: I use a medium-strong solution (1 g to a liter water) of potassium permanganate (KMnO4). Rinse with running water. Eventual stains will be bleached easily with household vinegar.
A mild (pink) solution will also get rid of fungi, for the bore of a wodden whistle (works great on athlete's foot, too :roll: ).

Wood whistle: back to the drugstore for Dakin's solution, a surgery disinfectant. Mild, neutral pH. Dip a thin pipe cleaner in Dakin, brush the windway, don't rinse.

Easily_Deluded_Fool · Post by **Easily_Deluded_Fool** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 3:44 am

Scotch

Yer fav' brand of alchoholic beverage can be used to dip yer mouth piece
in. The alchohol will kill any bacteria or virii.

You can then imbibe the drink remaining in the glass

If you 'disinfect' yer whistle often enough, say 20 or 30 times per session,
you won't care if it's infected/contaminated or not

Not that I waste my 'disinfectant' on my whistles

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 5:19 am

I've just finished a 1st aid course on which we use plastic dummies for practising mouth to mouth resuscitation.

In between, we wipe down the facial area with an antiseptic wipe pulled from a plastic dispenser, and I think that would be ideal for use on all plastic & metal whistles - not sure about wood, but I doubt it would penetrate to do any harm.

I've been trying to find the actual brand name of the wipes online but my system is playing up. In any case it may be different on the US. The two items below are the sort of thing I'm thinking of, ideal for that quick wipe in a shop before and after trying.

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:07 am

For plastic and metal whistles, rubbing alcohol would probably work fine, so long as you didn't leave them covered in it (rinse off afterwards in water).

Easily_deleuded_fool is almost right, but make sure you're using a strong liquor. Something like moonshine or Everclear would do the trick. I wouldn't use beer--too much sugar in it. You'll end up with a plaque much like what's on your teeth forming on your whistle.

NancyF · Post by **NancyF** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 6:59 am

In the world of home brewing sanitation, there is nothing as cheap and effective as bleach. A solution as weak as 1 tablespoon per gallon of water will disinfect nicely in less than 5 minutes, minimizing damage to materials, and rinses to food-safe clean standards. I don't know how this could be applied to a store situation, but I occationally bleach my whistles as step one of cleaning them.

--Nancy

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:16 am

I checked out this topic on WebMD.com and came up with some pertinent references:
http://my.webmd.com/search/search_resul ... =14&go.y=8
It seems that you would be better off licking your toilet seat than talking on an office telephone. Talk about counter intuitive.
Mike

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:29 am

"Without cleaning, a small area on your desk or phone can sustain millions of bacteria that could potentially cause illness"

Potentially.

IMHO

I think people go overboard on the whole cleaning thing - hospitals which supposedly disinfect everything are usually breeding grounds for the most dangerous bacteria, the ones not killed by standard antiseptic. By killing off the harmless stuff, you leave more room for the more dangerous ones to grow in.

I don't mean we should all stop cleaning immediately, but I don't think it's necessary to slop neat bleach over everything either. I don't think I'd want to toot on a whistle in a store if someone else had had a go first though.

_____________________________________________________________

Equal Rights for Bacteria - They're Human too!

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:38 am

Martin,
I agree with you that lots of people take disinfection to extremes. Actually, the most important step in "disinfection" is washing with soap and water to dislodge bits of debris where buggies can hide. Once the surface is clean a disinfectant kills 90% of what is left. Getting rid of that last 90% is important when making beer or laying out instruments for surgery but for most of us most of the time the soap and warm water is good enough. I don't know what the wood whistle owners can do.
Mike

Martin Milner · Post by **Martin Milner** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:45 am

We're on the same wavelength Burnsey. I don't make beer (or drink it), but my dad does and he always gives the brewing kit a good scald.

I heard or read somewhere that people often neglect to wash their thumbs when washing hands with soap and water.

I thought that was interesting, but now I'm not so sure.

Jerry Freeman · Post by **Jerry Freeman** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:45 am

I use a product available from drugstores (they may have to order it) called Zephiran. It's a 1:750 solution of benzalkonium chloride used as a surgical disinfectant and wound cleanser. It's very mild, no odor, rinses off with water. I wouldn't leave it on a whistle; I rinse with filtered water after using the Zephiran. I see no reason why it can't be used on wooden whistles. It's 99.87% water. The only downside is, it's expensive. Eight fluid ounces cost about $17.

Doc Jones · Post by **Doc Jones** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 7:46 am

In my professional medical opinion hot saopy water is probably more than adequate. However, if you really want to disinfect a solution of chlorhexidine should be dandy. You could probably pick up some from your local vet or farm supply store (Nolvasan is a common brand).

Also I'd give my "Amen" to Nancy's bleach recommendation above if you can stand bleach (I can't).

But really, Soap and water is wonderful stuff and highly under-rated. It's cheap, safe, non-toxic and won't hurt plastic or metal whistles.

There is way to much dis-infecting going on in the world...hence the super-resistant bacteria issues...particularly in hospitals (as mentioned above).

Just wash them. Who cares whether th bacteria are dead as long as they're down the drain?

Cheers,

Doc

glauber · Post by **glauber** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 11:05 am

Real Players don't worry about the germs.

If you must, i agree with the doc: soapy water, rinse, and dry.

herbivore12 · Post by **herbivore12** » Mon Jun 16, 2003 9:08 pm

I dunno about reinfecting oneself with viral illnesses, but hey. . .

In your part of the world, tea-tree oil seems a popular thing to use to disinfect/clean many things, instruments included. The fellow I bought my didgeridoo from uses it on his instruments -- he says, to good effect and without damage -- and there seems to be some evidence of its effectiveness in clinical testing.

Best thing, though, is a good wash with mild soapy water, generally. Good enough for doctors, good enough for me. And after, limited sharing of your instrument with other people. People are dirty, disease-ridden things, and dangerously unpredictable. Keep your distance from them.