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I just realized that I haven't cleaned the Bach mouthpiece that I've had for four years... It still plays OK, but might play better if there was some way to clean it. Anybody know any safe ways to clean out the inside of the mouthpiece? Thanks!

Soak it in white vinegar to remove hardened sludge, mouthpiece brush to finish off, then dish soap bath.

otismoe wrote:I just realized that I haven't cleaned the Bach mouthpiece that I've had for four years... It still plays OK, but might play better if there was some way to clean it. Anybody know any safe ways to clean out the inside of the mouthpiece? Thanks!

Rinse it out and use a brush on the back bore every day or so and you won't have to worry about how to clean the mouthpiece. When I worked at Marcinkiewicz (when he was in Los Angeles) I was always amazed at how grungy some people let their mouthpieces get. It was disgusting when I would put a tool in to measure the throat or back bore and would pull out a long green slimy thing that appeared to be some new type of life form.

It's like brushing your teeth, get used to doing it regularly.
FWIW

Norm Pearson

Just run a viola player through it.

I use the mpc bristle brush with warm soap and water every few days. Be careful not to allow any part of the metal wire to come in contact with the brass. About once a month or so after cleaning it with the mpc brush, I do what Bloke suggested using a twisted paper towel - but with silver polish on the paper towel. Then rinse it out thoroughly.

When my son was in HS (~20 yrs ago), he took private T-bone lessons from Art Sares who would inspect his mpc at every lesson. He wanted it spotless! He suggested using Twinkle to clean or polish him mpc.

bloke wrote:gross topic...

The most effective method that I've found (outside of a brass-bristled brush) is to twist a paper towel corner up into a tight cone-shaped spiral and to "ream" the filth out of the backbore of the mouthpiece with it.

Years ago I rolled up a paper towel to clean out the back bore as describe. At the very moment I inserted the towel the personnel manager called us to the stage for the second half of the concert. I guess I didn't wet the towel enough before I stuck it in the back bore because as soon as I inserted it all of the water wicked up in to the towel and it became almost hopelessly jammed inside the throat! So while everyone was heading for the stage I was going through the stage crew tool box to find something to force the towel out of the throat. The guys had a good laugh about that since I was supposed to be a mouthpiece "pro".

Norm Pearson

don't forget to keep your mouth and teeth clean before you play..

don't forget to keep your mouth and teeth clean before you play..

The thought of having bits and pieces of my last meal get blown down my tuba freaks me out; and I do brush my teeth, or at least make sure they are clean before I play. I rinse out my mouthpiece under water and dry it off with a paper towel before I put it away.

The last thing I want is a stinky tuba that morphs into a bio hazard site.

Rev Rob wrote:

don't forget to keep your mouth and teeth clean before you play..

The thought of having bits and pieces of my last meal get blown down my tuba freaks me out; and I do brush my teeth, or at least make sure they are clean before I play. I rinse out my mouthpiece under water and dry it off with a paper towel before I put it away.

The last thing I want is a stinky tuba that morphs into a bio hazard site.

me too, I absolutely don't share my mouthpiece with anyone either, and I am very careful about who else gets to play my tuba as well.

Thanks everyone! I'm going to have to go out and buy a mouthpiece brush now

The simple answer is, "often". With plain old soap and water.