Grrrrr…My whistles are getting me down. My Freeman tweaked Gen D and tweaked Feadog rarely let me get through a take without clogging and now the tweaked Sweetone has developed a noise like a blowing cylinder head (shoving a screwdriver in hasn’t helped). 
Because I am disabled I play lying down and the whistle isn’t far off horizontal which probably increases clogging particularly with tweaked whistles which have had their windways narrowed. I try dish soap and washing up liquid with mixed results. If anyone can recommend a solution or a low clogging whistle at any price please let me know. Any additional comments about the whistles sound and playing characteristics would be gratefully received. I have been playing for 6 months and aspire to a genuine Irish sound if that helps. I’ve just ordered another cheapie – the Dixon Trad for a trial. I am thinking that a non-tweaked whistle may have a wider windway. Of the more expensive whistles I like the Sindt D but I have no idea of the waiting list/availability at present.
If you’ve got the money, nothing beats a Sweetheart Pro in terms of clogging. I play clarinet and bassoon where the whole thing is to blowing as much saliva through the thing as you can to keep the reed wet. I obviously get major clogging problems on whistles. Can’t play aluminums at all.
Some people have luck with pulling a length of waxed dental floss through the windway to prevent clogging.
I second the Pro D suggestion, as well.
I use a mild solution of Jet Dry. Its a dishwashing additive, and you dip the mouthpiece in and let it dry.
When a whistle that normally doesn’t clog on you begins to have problems, sometimes its a bit of accumulated gunk that needs to be cleaned out. Toothpaste on dental floss works for me, or a frayed toothpick.
I’ve had the waxed dental floss trick fix a whistle that nothing else would fix.
That said, be careful on a tweaked whistle that you don’t disturb any material that the tweaker may have added to the whistle.
On any whistle that clogs, it helps if you warm it first in your hand or under your arm before blowing air through it.
Best wishes and good luck!
–James
My Burke black tip never clogs. Neither does my Sweetheart Pro or my Dixon.
Redwolf
There have been discussions about whether the clogging liquid is condensation from your breath or saliva. Speaking for myself, I know for sure (don’t ask how, you don’t want to know) that saliva is part of the problem. I don’t know how much condensation contributes. Since you are playing lying down, I don’t know if your saliva can run into your whistle. I guess it would depend on the position of your head.
In any case, cutting down on salivation might help a bit. I sort of suck my saliva quite a lot to the back of my mouth and swallow before I start playing.
I have read, but I can’t verify this, that if you eat before (how long? I don’t know.) you play, you tend to salivate more. Also, I have read that if you put the mouthpiece into your mouth only as far as absolutely necessary, like just 1/4 inch, that helps to not start up a salivation response. If you stick it in further I guess your mouth thinks you may be getting ready to eat and it starts salivating.
Again, just something to think about, not an expert opinion by any means.
Good luck!
Oh, and I think Tyghress gave good advice concerning the whistle that didn’t used to clog and now does. I actually rinse mine with soapy water after I play it. I got one so clogged up with gunk that it would hardly play at all—I just didn’t realize what was happening. I also rinse my mouth with water before I play even if I’ve just been drinking a beverage. It could be that if you can get the Sweetone cleaned (and I’m talking as clean as a whistle!) that you won’t have a problem after all. Yeah, a screwdriver would probably be something you don’t want to have in the area when you might get annoyed 
!
Waxed dental floss works well.
My Walton Mellow D never clogs even on the coldest of days. My Burkes may clog once or twice in the first minute or so but then stay clear.
I have some of the cheapies( feadog, sweetone,etc.) you mention and have no clogging with them. The Dixon trad is my favorite right now but is the only one I have experienced clogging problems with. Good luck.
Great suggestions – thank you. The Sweetheart Pro would definately solve the problem and I may go down that route. It certainly looks very pretty. The rounded woody sound wouldn’t be my first choice but it sounds fantastic in some of the clips at the Sweetheart website. It’s volume could be an issue – I don’t want to p"*ss off the neighbours more than I have to. It is also quite distracting to hear your mistakes so LOUD when you are a newbie like me. Definately a contender though.
Just tried flossing but it isn’t waxed and didn’t improve things. I shall put waxed on my shopping list. I’ll also look out for an English equivalent of jet dry.
Redwolf – which Dixon are you referring to? I like the sound of the whitecap. I think I will order a head and give it a whizz since it is such a cheap option to check out. Their low volume will be excellent for general practising.
I don’t think I have a saliva issue and I barely insert the whistle but it’s good to weed that one out.
WD40 – my Feadog and Sweetones are Freeman Tweakers which may be the problem for me playing lying down. I suspect the wider windways on the originals would be less problematic. I am not slagging off the Freeman Tweaked whistles – they have excellent playing characteristics for an upright whistler.
If you go with the Pro D, and plan to play at home mostly, volume will be an issue. It’s loud.
I’ve been muting mine, (see link below), and it has (again) become my favorite whistle:
I second the Burke black tip brass - I often play it for an hour at a time with no clogging problems at all (although I’ve gotten into the habit wo even realizing it of quickly blowing out and shaking the whistle after each tune or two). Many have said that the delrin fipple, as that in the Burke, Copeland and many others, is the least likely to clog, all other variables held equal. Good luck.
Philo
I’ve never cleaned out, rinsed or treated any of my whistles; that means two things - they’ll probably all stop playing suddenly, and no one will ever want to borrow one!
I had serious clogging problems with my Burke narrow-bore aluminum D right from the start. I tried soap solution, dental floss, etc. with no improvement. I finally emailed Mike Burke and he responded right away speculating that the windway was “contaminated” and suggesting I give it a thorough cleaning. I took a thin piece of cloth, soaked it in dish soap, and used it to sort of floss out the windway, and then rinsed all the soap out with water. This treatment made a huge difference - no more clogging!
cheers: Scott
Soapy water, Jet Dry, or Dupanol treatments of the windway all work pretty well for me but one thing that has never failed is drink tea (or swirl tea in my mouth and spit it out) about 15 minutes before I play. It dries my mouth enough that I don’t have enough saliva to cause a problem. Fortunately I like the taste of tea…
I like the idea with the tea and I’m gonna try it for certain.
Saliva is one thing, but the most common cause of clogging, to my knowledge, is still condensation, not spittle. Best way to avoid it is to have your whistle VERY warm so your breath doesn’t cool on its way through the mouthpiece and give up its moisture on the inner walls.
Failing to do that, you have to be sure the moisture doesn’t collect as droplets. That’s where the chemicals come in. Another nontoxic treatment is toothpaste – a trick I learned from my diving instructor.
Your diving instructor played the whistle? 
Seriously though, how is toothpaste used with diving equipment?
I’m guessing that playing on your back is the main culprit and not the whistles. Gravity is going to pull some moisture down out of the fipple area. I play a sweetone and it never clogs. I have a Chieftain low d and low f that can really clog on me. I used to bring along a heating pad to gigs and keep them warm and it worked. Very nice to play a warm whistle but it’s kind of a hassle. I was resistant to try the jet dry technique, but finally and recently did try it and I haven’t had clogging the past 6 gigs. Those were all with one treatment with the jet dry. Now I leave the heating pad at home.
Pat
Non Clogger?? Uilleann pipes. 