oboe reeds sanitation
Oboe reed sanitation against Corona Virus (Covid19).
Oboe reed sanitation is something that every reed maker must be familiar with when selling reeds to the public. Reed makers must try and adjust every oboe reed or English horn reed I made to ensure proper function. I traditionally use Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) for a few reasons
- HP seems to be more gentle on the vascular bundles/cell integrity of the cane.
- Hydrogen Peroxide is made up of 2 atoms of hydrogen, and 2 atoms of oxygen (H2O2).Hydrogen Peroxide decomposes to become water (H2O) and oxygen which are non-reactive, and have no taste.
- HP seems to be a great cleaner for older reeds that may need revitalization, making it a substance that all double reed players should have on-hand.
Due to the recent covid-19 (corona virus) outbreak I have made a switch to using both Hydrogen peroxide along with Isopropyl Alcohol to disinfect oboe reeds and English horn reeds. Northampton MA has not yet had any cases of Covid-19, however I am approaching my sanitation process as though I have already been in contact with the virus.
Disinfecting best practices from the Centers for disease control and prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/disinfecting-your-home.html
My new disinfection process is as follows.
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Soak reeds in alcohol for 30 seconds, remove from alcohol and let let the alcohol drain through the staple.
- Let reeds sit for 3 minutes and then dip the reeds in fresh distilled water to rinse off alcohol.
- Allow reeds to dry fully away from reedmaking station (4-12 hours).
- Wash hands thoroughly.
- Place reeds in hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds, remove from HP allow excess liquid to flow through the staple then shake excess moisture from the reed. Allow reeds to dry full
- Wash hands and insert reeds into their packages for shipping.
The Covid-19 virus can survive on surfaces for 4-72 hours.
https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/new-coronavirus-stable-hours-surfaces. As an added precaution I am allowing reeds at least 3 days to reach their destination after being packaged. This ensures that if the inside of the package was contaminated, the virus will spend enough time in the packaging to die. I will not expedite shipping until further notice, and packages expected to reach their destination within 1-2 days will be held 24-48 hours before being shipped.
Further precautions for oboe reed customers
Packages being delivered may have been touched by many hands during transit. Customers wanting to take further precautions upon receipt of their oboe reeds may wish to take these steps.
- Allow packages being delivered to sit for 72 hours before being handled.
- Wash hands after opening your packages and before trying oboe or English horn reeds. Be careful not to touch the reeds directly after touching the outside of the shipping box.
- Reeds can be sterilized again in a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution.
- Avoid sharing reeds.
I am very appreciative for all the support that I have received from my customers over the years. I am grateful that we are able to help one another to play the instrument we love and be happy oboe-ing.
-Aaron Lakota