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Up to recent, the horn care has been to use a HVLP blower to blow the water out of the horn and slides after playing; store the horn with the slides out; use a trombone sprayer to spray about five pumps of valve oil into each leg of the slides before playing. Even after all this, there is a slow build up of fungus (mildew) in the horn requiring regular snake and wash treatment.

The latest experiment has been to spray Tinactin into the lead pipe before playing and before storing.
"Hey Moe! It woiks! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"

So, you enterprising enterprisers out there, here's an idea for you: Anti-fungal valve oil.

SplatterTone wrote:So, you enterprising enterprisers out there, here's an idea for you: Anti-fungal valve oil.

Blue Juice beat you to it.

SplatterTone wrote:The latest experiment has been to spray Tinactin into the lead pipe before playing and before storing.
"Hey Moe! It woiks! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"

No more "athlete's toot", eh?

SplatterTone wrote:...use a trombone sprayer to spray about five pumps of valve oil into each leg of the slides before playing. Even after all this, there is a slow build up of fungus (mildew) in the horn requiring regular snake and wash treatment.

I can't help but wonder if you aren't creating the ideal environment for the fungus by spraying all that valve oil into the instrument. There is a form of fungus that grows in kerosene, which is the common ingredient in a lot of valve oils. Google "kerosene fungus" and you'll get quite a few hits.

I'd lay off all that valve oil and certainly not spray Tinactin down the leadpipe. It can't be good to risk getting that stuff in your lungs.

Completely clean and dry is usually the best way to prevent growth.

I can't help but wonder if you aren't creating the ideal environment for the fungus by spraying all that valve oil into the instrument.

More likely the brandy, bourbon, tawny port, ......

lgb&dtuba wrote:I can't help but wonder if you aren't creating the ideal environment for the fungus by spraying all that valve oil into the instrument. There is a form of fungus that grows in kerosene, which is the common ingredient in a lot of valve oils. Google "kerosene fungus" and you'll get quite a few hits.

Jim,

Do you know of any medical or scientific literature that suggests that Cladosporium resinae or Amorphotheca resinae are pathogenic to humans?

The thing to do is mix in a generous quantity of pure oil of oregano. Very aromatic stuff. Your horn would smell like a linament factory. Keep that in mind if the rest of the band start messing with you.

In my case the growth is local to the lead pipe area -- nothing growing in the slides or rotor areas. The horn has never been chemically cleaned; no green or any other color of stuff on the insides. Just a slow, gradual accumulation in the lead pipe, and only enough to take away that minty freshness that we so desire in a horn. Which suggests its from the biz I'm blowing into the horn.

sungfw wrote:

lgb&dtuba wrote:I can't help but wonder if you aren't creating the ideal environment for the fungus by spraying all that valve oil into the instrument. There is a form of fungus that grows in kerosene, which is the common ingredient in a lot of valve oils. Google "kerosene fungus" and you'll get quite a few hits.

Jim,

Do you know of any medical or scientific literature that suggests that Cladosporium resinae or Amorphotheca resinae are pathogenic to humans?

No I don't. But I was referring to getting Tinactin in your lungs, though, not the fungus.

The only reason I knew about the fungus growing in kerosene is that when I flew in P3 Orions hunting Russian submarines back in the 1960's we took a sample from every fuel tank before every flight to be sure we didn't have fungus in it. Too much fungus and it could clog up the fuel filters. Clogged up fuel filters while you are out over the middle of the ocean 4 or 5 hours from land in any direction is not a good thing.