Cleaning with Isopropyl Alcohol

Stine · Post by **Stine** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:21 pm

Not a "clogging" question.

Being the finicky must-play-with-clean-instrument freak I am... I clean my (steel?)flute with Isopropyl Alcohol, which works extremely well. I have a brass whistle, and I'm afraid to clean it with this stuff until I'm sure it won't do any damage to the metal. I don't believe we have any other sort of brass cleaners around the house. Any ideas?

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:03 pm

Iso will clean the brass just fine. Make sure you wipe the residue off while it is still wet or it may leave a whitish film behind.

Rod Sprague · Post by **Rod Sprague** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:42 pm

It is mildly toxic and won’t get you drunk anyway, so don’t ingest it.

It is a good cleaner for vacuum work, especially with plastics that are damaged by acetone. It has a high vapor pressure, so bake things out for high vacuum work.

Which forum am I on now?

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:34 pm

If you can get the search function to actually work (I can't without 10,000 replies), there is a formula which includes white vinegar for cleaning brass whistles on a past thread. Because I can't find it, I just use straight vinegar and it seems to clean up the brass. I think it was maybe Wombly or a builder that had published the formula.

happyturkeyman · Post by **happyturkeyman** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:40 pm

Just like washing clothes with various agents, test anything on some inconspicuous corner before using it to clean the whole schpiel.

I know whistles don't have corners, just think outside the box, okay?

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:49 pm

The Weekenders wrote:If you can get the search function to actually work (I can't without 10,000 replies), there is a formula which includes white vinegar for cleaning brass whistles on a past thread. Because I can't find it, I just use straight vinegar and it seems to clean up the brass. I think it was maybe Wombly or a builder that had published the formula.

It was Zubivka.

Zoobie Doobie wrote:Heat a glass or two of vinegar in a pan, bring it to boiling while dissolving kitchen salt in it to saturation. I.e. keep adding salt and stirring until the salt doesn't seem to dissolve any more. It does take a lot, like half-a-glass of salt.

Watch out, do this soup in a well ventilated kitchen: there's chlorine evaporating.

Let it cool outside. Pour in a bottle, slowly to leave the salt deposit in the pan. Stopper the bottle for storage.

This liquid is non toxic, use it on a rag to remove stains on brass/copper whitles (I clean my Sindt with it). Wipe dry. If you dislike the faint vinegar smell remaining, wash with soapy water before drying.

Wanderer · Post by **Wanderer** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:06 pm

Bloomfield wrote:
The Weekenders wrote:If you can get the search function to actually work (I can't without 10,000 replies), there is a formula which includes white vinegar for cleaning brass whistles on a past thread. Because I can't find it, I just use straight vinegar and it seems to clean up the brass. I think it was maybe Wombly or a builder that had published the formula.
It was Zubivka.

Zoobie Doobie wrote:Heat a glass or two of vinegar in a pan, bring it to boiling while dissolving kitchen salt in it to saturation. I.e. keep adding salt and stirring until the salt doesn't seem to dissolve any more. It does take a lot, like half-a-glass of salt.

Watch out, do this soup in a well ventilated kitchen: there's chlorine evaporating.

Let it cool outside. Pour in a bottle, slowly to leave the salt deposit in the pan. Stopper the bottle for storage.

This liquid is non toxic, use it on a rag to remove stains on brass/copper whitles (I clean my Sindt with it). Wipe dry. If you dislike the faint vinegar smell remaining, wash with soapy water before drying.

BTW, this same effect is why taco bell taco sauce cleans pennies..

here comes the science:
http://www.cruftbox.com/cruft/docs/cleaningcopper.html

The copper in the tarnish would be in the 2+ form. Chloride ions do not bond strongly to this form. However, they do bond fairly strongly to the 1+ form. A reaction that would be unfavorable in the absence of chloride ions, Cu + Cu2+ *--> 2Cu1+, becomes favorable when the chloride is present to tie up the Cu1+ form (as [CuCl2]-).

The first process can be viewed as transfer of an electron from Cu (metallic copper) to Cu2+. This is followed by reaction of the Cu1+ with the chloride. The resulting copper-chloride complex is soluble in water. It's the electron-transfer aspect of the chemistry (the conversion of metallic copper and the Cu2+, to Cu1+) that makes the role of the salt a little surprising.

MarkB · Post by **MarkB** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:06 pm

I prefer Absolute Vodka, it kills anything in the windway and isn't toxic in small doses...ur shots!

MarkB

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 12:57 am

Huh...so Taco Bell IS good for something..

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 3:07 am

Rod Sprague wrote:It is mildly toxic and won’t get you drunk anyway, so don’t ingest it.

IPA is a toxic, irritant, highly flammable, low flash-point, unpleasant substance. Skin contact is to be avoided, preferrably with gloves and/or barrier cream. Breathing its vapours is not to be recommended either.

Personally I'd recommend Goddard's cleaning cloths. They have two in particular which are excellent and long-lasting...one for silver, and one for copper & brass. The silver polishing cloth actually works a treat on my laughing whistle (it has to, I can't find the other cloth I had).

Goddard's stuff can be had direct from them http://www.goddards.com/
or from any number of online hardware stores (or even real ones. I get mine from Sainsbury's supermarket here in Blighty).

Does an excellent job on the brass rings of my flutes too, without affecting or marking the adjacent wood.

Just use the cloths, don't bother with the liquids or gels or foams... the cloths are apparently "impregnated" (lovely word) anyway. But they do work well.

jbarter · Post by **jbarter** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 5:19 am

GaryKelly wrote: IPA is a toxic, irritant, highly flammable, low flash-point, unpleasant substance.

I take it that it's not India Pale Ale you're talking about then?

waitingame · Post by **waitingame** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 6:00 am

jbarter wrote:
GaryKelly wrote: IPA is a toxic, irritant, highly flammable, low flash-point, unpleasant substance.
I take it that it's not India Pale Ale you're talking about then?

So I can't blame my bad temper on the Greene King then?

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 7:48 am

NorCalMusician wrote:Iso will clean the brass just fine. Make sure you wipe the residue off while it is still wet or it may leave a whitish film behind.

I interpreted "clean" to mean steriliize. THAT is what my wife means by clean!

Will any of these forumulas mentioned sterilize as well as clean?

GaryKelly · Post by **GaryKelly** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:00 am

No. You'll have to boil your whistles. Or soak them in bleach. Especially the wooden ones like the Bleazey, where the germs are tenacious.*

*Warning. Boiling whistles or soaking them in bleach is likely to destroy the whistles completely. Under no circumstances should you boil your whistle or soak it in bleach. The author cannot be held responsible for the stupidity of others. Hot coffee is hot, and may scald you.

John S · Post by **John S** » Wed Sep 29, 2004 8:56 am

It's full name is Isopropanol or more formally Propan-2-ol with the 2 indicating (as you know) that the OH group is on the second (middle) Carbon atom of this 3 Carbon Alcohol.

John S