I was raised to believe that there is such a thing as "too clean". The
instrument functions better w/a light slime coat - which should be achieved
thru oil, not organic sludge,& emphasis on "light". Urban myth or true
story?

But acid bath should get everything plenty cleaned out. Nuclear weaponry
should not be necessary!

M. White
Missouri

On Nov 15, 2010 2:56 PM, "Robert Dickow" <[email protected]> wrote:

I just gave my horn to my local repair technician for an acid bath. I
cleaned it recently with my usual hydrogen peroxide and dish detergent
recently, but I figured it was time for some heavy artillery. My thinking
is, just what kind of dirt ends up getting into a horn over time?



(1)    Waxy buildup from lubricants

(2)    Metal oxides

(3)    Proteins (mentioned by the tech guy)

(4)    Slime/mucous-like gunk (schleim (Gr), glaire (Fr)) (bacteria mixed
with oral debris, food particles, algae perhaps. and maybe some of the
proteins.

(5)    Small mammals, pencils, lint from the velvet in the horn case or from
the air, children's toys, and wrong notes and clams, canards (ducks), etc.



Just kidding about the small mammals, but soap might get the oils, but
probably not the 'waxy buildup', and hydrogen peroxide probably only gets
certain organic materials. Will the 'acid bath' pretty much really get
everything? Or, do I need to 'nuke it from orbit, just to be sure?'



Bob Dickow

Lionel Hampton School of Music



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