How should I clean Penny Whistles?

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Saw Lady
Date: 12 Aug 10 - 12:35 AM

What brand is your musical saw?
Are you looking to sell it or donate it? The annual Musical saw Festival in NYC would be a good place to find aspiring saw players: www.MusicalSawFestival.org

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:23 PM

"How should I clean Penny Whistles?"

Well, if she won;t take a bath, then I'd recommend to stop hanging round her ...

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Betsy
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 07:29 PM

cheaply

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 07:26 PM

I've been looking for a good saw - but I'm in Australia - if nobody else speaks up, PM me and I'll give you the postage and whatever else you fell is appropriate. May take a while to reply - I don;t always check in here every day... :-)

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 05:19 PM

I have a whistle with enough gunk in it to clone Micho Russell from one day.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 04:11 PM

I just pulled a whistle out of the loft that I haven't played for over 30 years. It's NEVER been cleaned to my knowledge. Not sure whether to clean it and see if I can still play anything or have it humanely destroyed.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Paul Burke
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 04:05 PM

In some hands, throw away first.

Wash in plenty of hot caustic soda, then soak overnight in iodine tincture. Autoclave for 8 hours, then hermetically seal in shrink wrap.

But if you need to clean your whistles before lending or borrowing one, NEVER kiss anybody. Don't even shake hands without a doctor's note.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 03:49 PM

I thought they were disposable items.

Play once then throw away, no?

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: gnu
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 03:47 PM

Tooth paste and toothbrush.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 03:35 PM

That may not be the best advice as the heads are put on the tubes in random fashion. Most people loosen them to tune the head to proper pitch, which is usually not where the factory put them.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 03:33 PM

Thanks, will do Leeneia, I'd never have thought of that :)

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 02:22 PM

Here's something good to know about penny whistles.

If a whistle has a plastic mouthpiece and you soak it in hot water, you will melt the glue that holds it in place. Some people do this on purpose so they can move the mouthpiece and adjust the tuning.

(I wasn't trying to retune. I was trying to remove bits of waste plastic from inside the whistle.)

I've done this, but before soaking it, I took a fine-point permanent marker and drew a line on the whistle showing the original location of the mouthpiece.

It would be a courtesy to the children to put that line on there for them, in case a parent decides to run the whistle through the dishwasher someday.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:53 AM

There's a bow from a double bass with it I think :)

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:49 AM

A musical saw is worth quite a bit more. Do you have a bow for it?

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:42 AM

I can't play them (they were my late husband's) and I'd rather give them away to be used and (hopefully) enjoyed than have them sat silent. There'll just be a few children spending their holiday money on ice creams instead of whistles :)
Now to find a home for the musical saw........

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:39 AM

I did say 'warm water. If the water gets near boiling long exposure may deform the heads.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:24 AM

Ann - Bear in mind that the CHEAPEST "Penny Whistle" is going to be about £5 , so that would be quite generous !

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 11:08 AM

I might take them to the whistle workshop during Whitby Folk week and give them away to any bairns that have turned up without one.   

                   Cheers    Ann

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Mo the caller
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 10:58 AM

Do they melt if the water is too hot?

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 10:51 AM

Warm water and a bit of Fairy Liquid does fine.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: SqueezeMe
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 10:37 AM

At the last whistle workshop I attended, it was suggested that I treat mine with sulphuric acid. Think they were trying to tell me something.... :-(
(Hey, I can handle rejection; I'm an accordion player.)

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 09:38 AM

"regulary give mine a good whizz round"

Somehow, Terry, I don't think I want to proceed with this 'straight line feed' in public .... :-)

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 09:36 AM

I regulary give mine a good whizz round in a mug of HOT water ! Stops then gunging up !

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:57 AM

Thanks for the tips. They're going to be spotless when they're done :)

             Cheers   Ann

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:47 AM

Enzyme detergent.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:44 AM

Yep, Milton is the way to go.

Subject: RE: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: alex s
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:12 AM

my whistle-playing mate uses Milton (for sterilising babies' bottles etc)

Subject: How should I clean Penny Whistles?
From: Ann N
Date: 11 Aug 10 - 08:07 AM

I've some penny whistles and some of the plastic mouth pieces look as if they could do with a clean before I pass them on to someone who can play them. Would upending them overnight in a couple of inches of water with a Steradent tablet then brushing gently with a soft toothbrush be alright?      
                   Cheers    Ann