Germs and disease. If there is one thing that all of that bad bacteria loves, it's schools, classrooms, and children.
This is particularly true of the equipment that young children use and share in schools. And nothing quite beats
Advice from Public Health England
The e-Bug project, Public Health England has a dedicated webpage for learning resources on handwashing and respiratory hygiene. Resources are available for Key Stages 1,2 and 3 and can be used in various settings including schools. Visit:
https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/schools
Our musical instruments are designed with hygiene in mind
Because our instruments are made from plastic, they are pretty robust and can withstand some rough treatment, however like anything, especially in the hands of children, they are likely to get dirty over time. Mouthpieces in particular of course, as the name suggests, are making contact with your mouth, so these need extra attention!
For added reassurance, all of our instruments are designed with antimicrobial additives. This prevents the common bacteria that are often found around classrooms from spreading via our instruments.
Practise good hygiene before you practice!
Before and after you play your instrument wash your hands thoroughly with warm soapy water and dry thoroughly. If playing in groups, such as at band practice or in a music lesson, do not share mouthpieces between children. You should also ensure they are washed after every use.
For instruments that are used by more than one player, we offer extra mouthpieces that can easily be switched out. Head to our Product Support page for more information on spare parts!
How to clean musical instruments
The outside of all of our instruments can simply be cleaned with soapy water. To clean the external surfaces, use a soft cloth with warm soapy water...but make sure that it's not too hot. Dry the instrument with a lint-free cloth.
With instruments that have valves (such as pTrumpet, pCornet and hyTech), be careful not to get soapy water into the valve system.
With pBuzz, watch you don't get soapy water in the clear tube as this may damage the coloured paper insert.
With pBone and pBone Mini, if you remove the slide section, the rest can be fully submerged in warm soapy water - we've even chucked them in the bath!
How to clean the mouthpieces
All of our plastic mouthpieces can be fully submerged in warm soapy water to clean them. If you have a number of mouthpieces (for example, if you have a class set of pBuzz) you can stick them all in the dishwasher.
The hyTech mouthpiece provided is not plastic and should be cleaned the same way as any other trumpet mouthpiece. Submerge the mouthpiece in water, insert a mouthpiece brush into each end, repeat as necessary, and use a dry cloth to remove excess water. Make sure the mouthpiece is dry before use.
How to clean an instrument case
The cloth and fabric bags that come with pCornet, pTrumpet, pBone Mini and pBone can all be washed in your washing machine on a cool setting, as can the pBuzz pouch if you have one - although we don't recommend you tumble dry them! The hyTech gig bag can be cleaned by sponging off dirt with warm soapy water and left to air dry.
For more detail and other questions about the care of our instruments do visit our FAQ page which covers all of the above, including some helpful maintenance videos, by clicking on the button below:
Learn more about how we design our instruments to be hygienic.
Picked up a pCorder? Got a wooden recorder but you're not sure how to keep it clean? Find out how in our article on cleaning recorders.
