Hey guys- i want to “wash” or clean around the embochure hole of my flute having several people play it recently and I was wondering how best to go about it. Im not sure about water and soap or other ways as i don’t have too much experince with blackwood instruments. Thanks.
Hi,
If you’re cleaning it for hygenic reasons try an antiseptic wipe, the kind you get in 1st Aid kits. I think it would be inadvisable to use soap and water. When its dried off give it a wipe with whatever you use to oil it and apply a little oil to the embouchure hole. Just my opinion.
Cheers, Mac
I agree with Mac’s good advice,on no account do you want to damage the embrouchure hole.Fintan Vallely has a humerous way of putting things across in his flute tutor ‘Timber’ he says ‘on flute playing and disease’:“This can be a problem.There’s always a situation when somebody wants a blow of your flute.On the health side you’ll have to take people as you see them-better not to loan it out at all than go rinsing it out with Jeyes fluid afterwards” 
If you are into oiling your flute, you may just want to give it a “light” wipe with a soft cloth with little oil.
The greatest vulnerability to catching something is immediately after playing. By the time you get the flute home only the strongest germs are survivors 
What kind of flute do you play, that’s so popular?
Bill
It was my new copley. Another flute player and I swapped flutes for several tunes at the session last weekend and I was just wondering for future reference. He was playing an ormiston. He commented several times that he really liked it. Thanks for the replies.
Hi,
You say you swapped for a few tunes with a guy who had an Ormiston. How did the Ormiston seem, was it keyed, long or short foot etc? I’d be interested in your opinion.
Cheers, Mac
Make sure you wash off those germs- you could end up with a dose of FLU(te)! sorry,couldn’t resist!
Chris Abell helped cure a problem that i was having with my Hammy. He discovered buildup in the embrochure hole, which he promptly eliminated with a alcohol-laden q-tip. Just re-oiled when he was done. The sound and responsiveness improved considerably. Don’t see why that woulnd’t work for germs, although i’d be wary of overdoing it, i.e. constantly adding alcohol and then oil to the wood.
On 2003-01-28 15:58, feadog39 wrote:
Chris Abell helped cure a problem that i was having with my Hammy. He discovered buildup in the embrochure hole, which he promptly eliminated with a alcohol-laden q-tip. Just re-oiled when he was done. The sound and responsiveness improved considerably. Don’t see why that woulnd’t work for germs, although i’d be wary of overdoing it, i.e. constantly adding alcohol and then oil to the wood.
We call that drinkin’, round these parts…
Just a reminder to please be enormously careful with the edges of the embouchure hole.
Even a microscopic dent or scratch here can have very real consequences to tone and response.
Best,
–James
http://www.flutesite.com