[Dixielandjazz] Germs in instruments

[Bill Haesler]

>Tubas usually won't fit in the microwave however Drano works.<

Dear Larry,
Years ago, here in Sydney, Oz, a band mate decided it was time he cleaned
out his tuba, so he filled the bath with hot soapy water and soaked it for
an hour.
Apart from dirt and gunk, a mouldy old school tie floated out!
Probably surreptitiously dropped into the bell by one of our pub audience,
sometime during the life of the band.
An occupational hazard for tuba players.
Our band's clarinet player [before Jack Wiard], the late Rod Lawlis, once
had difficulty blowing his clarinet and asked local mate, clarinettist John
McCarthy to look at it for him.
John knew that Rod, rarely, if ever, 'pulled through' his clarinet.
After sterilising the instrument in hot water and Dettol, John found that
the bore was restricted with detritus by about 25%, and many of the keyholes
were almost completely filled with grunge.
Yuk!
That clarinet could have walked on and off the band stage by itself!
Regards,
Bill.
PS: When he died, Rod left that fine Selmer clarinet to John McC.