How to Keep Woodwind Reeds Playable

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Get a pill bottle with a screw-on cap.

   Any small bottle with a tightly sealing cap will work, but it probably must have a screw-cap since the hydrogen peroxide will tend to produce gas (Oxygen
   -- very small quantities and of no danger) which will pop the lid of snap-cap bottles and leak.
   
   You don't want leaks because hydrogen peroxide will bleach and deteriorate most clothing/case linings/etc.
2. 2

   Step 2: Fill the bottle with about 1/4 hydrogen peroxide and 3/4 water.

   The proportions are not critical.
   
   Over time, you will lose some liquid
   -- refill with straight hydrogen peroxide until the liquid gets cloudy; at that point, it is time to start over with new water/hydrogen peroxide. , If you have previously-played reeds, the first time you put them into the mixture, it will foam a lot.
   
   New and/or clean reeds will not foam very much.
   
   The foaming is from the removal of the "gunk" (food particles, dried saliva, mildew, etc.) that build-up on reeds. ,, For tubular reeds, a reed brush can be helpful for cleaning the inside.
   
   Simply wiping off the outsides of the reed with the fingers or with the lips is sufficient for external cleaning.
3. 3

   Step 3: Soak reeds in the mixture as you would usually.

4. 4

   Step 4: When not soaking a reed

5. 5

   Step 5: screw the cap on the bottle tightly and store as you would normally in your instrument case.

6. 6

   Step 6: After playing

7. 7

   Step 7: soak the reed for a couple of minutes while disassembling the instrument.

Detailed Guide

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