[Casey]

Hello everyone! I just got my hohner soprano melodica in the mail today. However, I bought it used online and I don’t know a thing about cleaning melodica’s or melodica’s in general. I really want to start playing but I am not one to trust the cleaning practises of those whom I buy from… It does not appear to be dirty on the outside but that may be a different story on the inside… I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on cleaning a used melodica. I just want to be safe! Thanks!

-Casey

[Melodica-Me]

Hello Casey, welcome to the forum. If you go to general discussions and scroll down a bit, look for “cleaning your Hohner 26” or “giving your Melodica a bath” there are helpful suggestions. I personally open the Melodica up and if not to bad I simply rub a little alcohol or disinfectant let it dry completely and wash the mouth pieces completely. If you open it and it is really dirty, try some of the suggestion given by Lowboy or Alan.
Melodica-Me
Monsters of Melodica

[Alan Brinton]

If it doesn’t have a noticeable odor, it’s probably okay. On the other hand, a cleaning sometimes significantly improves performance. I at least give a bath in 1/3 household vinegar and 2/3 water to just about every vintage melodica I acquire. Details about this are in the threads Melodica-Me referenced. The exception would be if it contains wood.

[Dee Cook]

Hi – this is directed toward Alan B and Melodica-Me (Or any others who have used this cleaning method). When using the vinegar-water bath method, do you put the part with gaskets on it into the bath? If so, does that cause any problems? Just wondering about the effects of the vinegar, other than cleaning, on gasket material.

Thanks,
Dee

[Alan Brinton]

Either way for me, Dee. I have used this method in many cases without having taken the melodica apart. I just submerge it for 2-3 hours, placing something heavier on top to hold it down if necessary. I take it out a few times and work the keys while blowing water out, then re-submerging. Then I rinse by doing the same several times in clear water.

In other cases, I soak the keyboard, reeds, etc. while the melodica is disassembled.

For exotic vintage melodicas that have wooden parts or old gasket material I’m not replacing, or air hole key pads that look fragile, I don’t soak the whole thing. I don’t do it with whole vintage Italians, especially the Clavietta, and I wouldn’t with a Hohner Pro 36.

[Dee Cook]

Thanks Alan – Advice much appreciated.

Dee

[Alan Brinton]

Casey,

The green button soprano, right? If it does not have keys sticking or an unpleasant odor and you don’t have any other reason to take it apart, your best bet is probably to just use it as it is. If you look at the discussion just now going on with D Cook, that’s relevant if it actually does need cleaning. You can clean the mouthpiece with rubbing alcohol and then soap and water.

Alan

[Melodica-Me]

I like to open them up and clean them out By hand. This usually helps me to see the condition and see if there is something that really needs to be looked at especially if it is a used melodica. If you make it a practice to brush your teeth before you play, they stay pretty clean. I use a water pick, beilieve it or not, even with a good brushing the water pick loosens up material that is caught in between your teeth that can go inside your melodica.
Hope this help
Melodica-Me

[Dee Cook]

Thanks Melodica Me – Right there with you re the water pick. Dee

[Author]

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