Simple cleaning and maintenance for harmonica does not amount to much, sometimes absolutely nothing. Generally speaking, the old saying "If it works, don't fix it" applies perfectly to harmonica cleaning, maintenance, and repair.
General Information
- How often should I clean my harmonica?- Maybe never, maybe frequently, this is entirely up to you. Cleaning is not always a good thing. If you are over-zealous in your attempts, you could cause more problems than you solve. Many harmonicas will wear out from use before they ever actually need a cleaning.
- When should I clean my harmonica?- If it bothers you, you should clean it. If you think that cleaning could help prevent future problems, then you should clean it. If someone else plays your harmonica, you should probably clean it. If you pickup a used harmonica, you should definitely clean it (for health reasons, we don't recommend buying or playing used harmonicas). If it has been sitting somewhere for months or years, you may want to clean it.
- Is it possible to completely sterilize my harmonica?- The answer comes from one of our friends in the medical industry:
"It is true that Hydrogen Peroxide will not completely sterilize a harmonica.
Unfortunately, true sterilization is very difficult. In the medical office,
we use an autoclave (combination of high temperature and high pressure),
which is very reliable, but expensive and not available to the public. In
addition, autoclave conditions can damage many materials -- I have my doubts
that a harmonica would survive. Gas sterilization is used as an alternative
for medical instruments such as arthroscopes, etc. which contain latex,
plastic, or other materials which would not survive in an autoclave. This
is also not available to the public.
The general public has access to soap and water, rubbing alcohol, and
hydrogen peroxide. Of these, alcohol is probably the best disinfectant, but
again this depends on the contact time, and not all organisms can be killed
with this. Protected areas (i.e. under a reed plate, etc) may harbor
organisms and the alcohol may not penetrate there, limiting its
effectiveness. Alcohol also needs to be rinsed off very well. Peroxide is
effective for certain organisms, but as I recall, its action spectrum is not
as broad as alcohol. I do not know the effects of alcohol or peroxide on
the long-term viability of the harmonica itself."
- Cleaning a chromatic vs. diatonic harmonica- If your harmonica has a button on the side and white plastic valves over the reeds (which you would see when you take off the metal cover plates), it is a chromatic harmonica and you need to be careful not to disturb those white plastic wind saver valves. By the way, NEVER SOAK A CHROMATIC HARMONICA OR RUN WATER THROUGH IT, it ruins it. Although some of the cleaning instruction here will apply to chromatic harmonica, you are better off following the manufacturers directions or picking up addtional cleaning and repair instruction specifically for chromatics.
Cleaning Your Harmonica
- Cleaning without taking the harmonica apart- If your diatonic harmonica has a plastic comb (versus a wood or metal comb), you can do a quick cleaning by running luke warm water through it and then rapping it firmly (mouthpiece side down) against your leg or palm to knock out the excess water. Repeat 2 or 3 times being careful to knock out all the water. Lightly playing big full mouth chords (4 or 5 notes) throughout the harmonica will also help clear out the excess moisture. For a light cleaning, this may be all you need.
- For a more thorough cleaning, disassemble cover plates, reed plates, and comb.- Use the appropriate screw driver for your brand of harmonica (flat head or phillips). Fnd a safe place to temporarily store the little screws and nuts that you will get from your disassembly. If they fall to the floor they may disappear forever.
Disassemble cover plates, reed plates, and comb.
- Cleaning the comb- You may clean the plastic comb with warm water, soap, and an old tooth brush -- rinse completely. If your comb is made of wood, skip the water and soap and merely rub it down with the old toothbrush. If your comb is metal, be sure to dry it thoroughly upon completion ot avoid rust and tarnish.
- Cleaning the cover plates- You may clean the plastic comb with warm water, soap, and an old tooth brush. Rinse well. If your comb is made of wood, skip the water and soap and merely rub it down with the old toothbrush.
- Using metal cleaner or brass polish on the cover plates- Not recommended. It is very difficult to completely remove the chemical smell even after a thorough wash and rinse. The tarnishing of the cover plates won't hurt anything including the sound. In fact, some might take it as a sign of an experienced player.
Disassembled cover plates, reed plates, screws, and comb.
- Cleaning the reed plates- You may clean the reed plates with warm water and soap and your fingers. Rinse well. You should not wash the reed plates with an old toothbrush. The bristles could get caught on a reed and do damage. Please note that some brands and models of harmonicas have reed rivets that are made of a non-rusting material, others do not. It is possible that without thorough drying, the rivets may begin to rust over time. Therefore, dry as completely as possible before re-assembly.
- Cleaning the reed plates while attached to the comb- Very carefully take the harmonica apart down to the comb and attached reed plates. Then take Q-tips and Hydrogen Peroxide Solution (found at any drug store and most supermarkets) and clean the areas that seem to need cleaning. The Hydrogen Peroxide will sanitize, clean, disinfect, and is perfectly safe. Focus special attention on the areas where you will be putting your mouth. Be very careful not to leave any of the extra fuzz from the Q-tips, especially around the reeds (the little thin brass things with a rivet at one end). If you can find some Q-tip type swabs that are not made of cotton but made of some material that doesn't leave lint, that would be even better. This method when carefully applied will also work with chromatic harmonicas.
Re-assembling Your Harmonica
- Re-attaching the reed plates back on the comb- Use your thumb and forefinger to squeze and slide the plates and comb around until the plates feel "seated" properly within the comb. While securely holding the "seated" reed plates in place, replace the reed plate screws. Do not over-tighten these screws, it doesn't help. Over-tightening tends to cause a warping in the screw areas and increase air leakage. Loose is better than tight. Remember, these plates will also be held securely in place with the final cover plate screws.
- Replace the cover plates, not too tight or loose- As with the reed plate screws, do not over-tighten the cover plate screws. Be sure to check that the cover plates are aligned correctly on top of the reed plates before final tightening.
- Should one cover plate screw be tighter than the other?- Not necessarily, but you may find that the screw located on the "high end" can cause the harmonica to feel slightly more airtight if it is a bit tighter than the "low end" screw. Sometimes this helps, sometimes not.
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