Super Easy Blues Harp Cleaning Tips

Richard Sleigh ( hotrodharmonicas.com/ ) Shows you the fastest easiest ways to clean your blues harmonica. Blues harmonica means a harp with no wind saver valves. BTW, Just wiping off your cover plates with a damp cloth with some dish soap helps a lot even if you have wood comb harps that you can't dunk into water...

[@hannahnekelly9236]

Most videos where telling me disassemble the harmonica. I don't trust myself. So this was helpful. Thank you sir

[@dwdayo]

Thank You for all of your great Ideas and instructions. Your emailed news letters are inspirational. You my friend are a Positive Wizard.

[@richardroysleigh]

Thanks, Dale, I am glad you find my ideas worthwhile!

[@markingham4773]

Thanks for the advice.

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

I would love to see your take on installing windsavers (valves) I have tried several methods. There are quick, cheap ones, and then there are the ones which really last a long time. There are the super glue attachments, and the double sticky tape attachments. Folded duct tape, sticky shelf paper, and really pricey factory punch out sets. I have tried all of these. They all work, and they all suck, but for different reasons. Could be an interesting discussion.

[@richardroysleigh]

That is a good request and at some point I would love to get into it. I'm playing a lot more chromatic these days so I am trying to get better answers to those questions...

[@apexedgesharpening2005]

Gun cleaning brushes work good too. Short like the one you cut up.

[@gillygil8747]

Hi. I have a Hohner ProHarp MS. It has a plastic comb. I believe I need to take it apart because one of the reeds no longer sounds. Is there a screwdriver I can buy? I don't seem to have a bit small enough to do the job. Now that I know how easy it is to clean, once I get it unclogged, I will keep it clean. Thank you.

[@richardroysleigh]

You can go to Rockin Rons and get Wiha Pozidrive screwdrivers. Hohner MS harps use the pozidrive screws for cover plates and reed plates here is the link:rockinronsmusicsd.com/pozidriv-0-screwdriver.html

[@geoffleach5390]

If they half valued is it the same process?

[@cmnjsb3886]

I have tombow s50 harmonica. That is made by plastic. When i wash my harmonica,do this video method?

[@geezee7]

Hello how do you go about drying? Just leave them to dry couple days or would u blow dry

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

Either works if the blow dryer isn't too hot. Again, plastic combs only. For a wood comb, I use alcohol and a soft tooth brush. Some of the old guys used Vodka because the like the taste better, but id does increase the drying time (and expense!)

[@geezee7]

@@RAkers-tu1ey awsome, thanks for your help kind sir! :) bless

[@dadofid1006]

You can use a pair of electric hair clippers to make a much flusher cut

[@richardroysleigh]

Great tip! Thanks for posting this...

[@fahadfossil8384]

Can i just spray some spirit into the holes

[@neilmcgrath1001]

Any suggestions on dealing with valved harps?

[@richardroysleigh]

If they are plastic valves you can take the harp apart and swish them gently in warm with the mild dish soap (not hot) water. Then rinse by swishing gently in plain water. You just don't want to subject platic valves to a lot of high pressure water or high temperatures. That will make them considerably cleaner without risking bending the valves or knocking them out. I don't know what to tell you about ultrasuede or leather valves. That is out of my area of expertise....

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

@@richardroysleigh agreed! If you need really clean chromatics, you need to learn how to re-valve quickly and cheaply. Ultrasuede is actually easier to replace (my opinion) than the 2-piece plastic, but ugh, those things wet....

[@burketrieschmann654]

If you are careful, you can do the same sort of sideways cleaning lightly with a toothbrush as Richard showed here. However, I use one with the longer bristles as its gentler and with a light touch sideways motion. I soak the reed plates with the valves in a mix of liquid soap (Richard's suggested soap would work fine here) and water. After a soak, then a brush, I rinse them off and put the valved reed plates in an ultrasonic cleaner with a mix of brass cleaner, and combo of soap and other disinfectants. I make sure to rinse off well with warm water after it comes out of the ultrasonic. The ultrasonic will also slake off any wind savers that are about to fail from the glue wearing out. They will be floating on top of the water. This is good as now I know which ones need to be replaced. I rinse the reed plates under light tap water pressure with the flap end of the valves pointing up so the flow of water gets under the valve and clears out any soap or leftovers from the Ultra sonic. I then let the plates and valves air dry (do not use alcohol, as its a solvent, and will degrade the valve glue), and then plink/ flap the remaining wind savers with a shim to make sure they are not stuck before re attaching the others. In the case of an older chromatic, its likely that most all of the wind savers have lost their grip and will flake off very easily. If you can save the old savers, re glue them and replace any that have distorted or are problematic. And as Richard said: "If you need really clean chromatics, you need to learn how to re-valve quickly and cheaply. "

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

I have one of those ultrasonic parts cleaners for other things, but, boy does it work well on harps. A little food grade orange oil detergent, and 30 minutes the tank (10 or so harps at once)and everything is clean. BTW, I have accidentally tweaked reeds while brushing them. 2 seconds with a Sleigh reed wrench, and no worries.

[@eetechtom]

Do you put the assembled harp in the cleaner, or disassemble first?

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

@@eetechtom Depends, no wood, nothing with valves or stickers (they just wash off). If I am just cleaning, Diatonics with plastic combs usually go in whole, 1/2 the run time with the holes down, 1/2 with the holes up to prevent gunk from getting stuck into the reed roots. If I am doing a bunch of other routine other work, (tuning, gapping, etc) I will disassemble them. I buy groups of old junky harps on e-bay, and repair/ re-build them, so I have only gone through this 3 or 4 times.. I think I spend way more time tinkering than playing.

[@richardroysleigh]

It depends on how completely you want to clean the harmonica. If you have a harp with a plastic or acrylic comb you don't need to take it apart.

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

@@richardroysleigh True enough! BTW, thanks for the great work.

[@geezee7]

Pretty late here, how would you go about drying it after the ultrasonic? Isn't it bad to get all the insides wet? Wouldn't it mess with the sound? Cheers

[@matthewtucker8994]

I have a metal / plastic American ace Horner. It has a bit of rust. Any suggestions? Ty

[@richardroysleigh]

There is a product called CLR (stands for Calcium lime Rust) that you can find at probably Ace Hardware. Take the harp apart and put the metal parts in this stuff (maybe in a small jar that is slightly higher than the reed plates) for a couple of minutes - then wash thoroughly with mild dish soap.. You can re- use this stuff so cap the jar or pour back into the plastic bottle it came from

[@matthewtucker8994]

@@richardroysleigh thank you Sir

[@marty5751]

Do you do anything special to dry it off?

[@richardroysleigh]

No I don't - I just knock out any excess moisture and let it air dry, That works for me...

[@Angrou]

Hello! Can I do this with the Hohner BluesBand? Thanks in advance!

[@richardroysleigh]

Yes you can!

[@brianmaue2083]

I’m sorry but I would just take it apart and put it in my ultrasonic cleaner. You’re not getting anything out between the reed and the red plate. Also… I do believe that reeds and reedplates are brass not Copper

[@Mikem-mq2hh]

woah....back up a tad

[@babdillon3220]

Wont you fuck up the reeds by brushing them perpendicularly like that? Missalign them?

[@richardroysleigh]

If you use the cut down toothbrush with very light pressure you will not knock the reeds out of alignment. You can try this technique first on a scrap reed plate if you are not sure about how much pressure to use. A light touch will brush away debris with no danger to the reeds... Good question!

[@babdillon3220]

@@richardroysleigh Thank you! I will give it a try!

[@kenjackben]

It must work or else he wouldn't go through the trouble of doing it

[@user-ol4et6er2r]

вот те раз а я боюсь лишний раз плюнуть в гармошку, а оно вона чего)

[@tgs989]

Just buy a denture brush for any brushing instead of trimming a toothbrush. A Denture Cleaning Brush is so much better and you need to take the Harmonica apart to properly clean it.

[@clarksoltesz8696]

zoom out a lil dang

[@SanjuKumar-uq4bz]

Bro please purchase a tripod because you are very much out of 📷

[@jerrykellerman9725]

Dude, too slow, too boring ,, if you even play must be Oklahoma style

[@richardroysleigh]

Good point - It's probably time to do a new vid with updates ( after a good still double espresso )

[@jerrykellerman9725]

@@richardroysleigh don't be nice , I kinda slammed you , the thing about comments is I felt like that for a moment but it's in comments for ever, I never feel anything forever so I might take it down in a week .

[@richardroysleigh]

@@jerrykellerman9725 No actually you have a good point