So just noticing that my harmonicas tend to get cruddy on the lower notes. It could be he humidity from the areas I travel to or that I salivate a bit more than most. Anyhow I have the Oskar apart in the hotel and ordered DoorDash vinegar and a toothbrush to clean it. I cleaned the Hohner in the same manner but at home, This cleaning really improved things.
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Vinegar works great - I like to use a peroxide bath on mine.
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I could try that. I wonder if just soaking them without taking them apart would get it done?
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I can’t speak for vinegar, but soaking in peroxide for about and hour or so removes all kinds of crude. Just make sure you have a plastic comb and rinse your harp well afterwards.
Not sure it’s a good thing, but my harps sound ‘brighter’ after cleaning.
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I may try the peroxide. I tried to take the Hohner on the road with me when I travel as a professional pilot, (15 days on-13 days off), but it seems not to hold up as well as the Lee Oscar. It might just be the plastic comb. So my plan now is to try and dip the Lee in the peroxide bath when I return home and then pack it up to travel after it dries out.
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Just a question guys, how does a harmonica dry up after soaking it in peroxide and rinsing it with water?
Ciao
Stefano
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I took the dive and did it on my Lee Oskar major diatonic C harmonica. I used the JP Allen method on 5-10 minutes in hydrogen peroxide, rinsed with mineral water after.
I guess it did the trick, letting it dry now.
Ciao
Stefano
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Alcohol is the best I have found. I tossed my wooden combs and this allows me to leave the harps in alcohol for about ten seconds and they are clean and play very well, especially if I used a blow drier on low to make sure the harp is clean and free of alcohol. When harps are warm and clean it makes playing them much easier. It is also a very short process.
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Peroxide worked fine on my Lee Pskar with plastic comb. 10 minutes soaking and a good dry out.
Ciao
Stefano
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Try tiling the harmonica up. This should care of a saliva problem. I grew up on the coast and humidity is not your friend, especially if the temperature is below 70 and the humidity at this level or higher.. I do not play much on a chili day. reeds are not as responsive.
Peroxide works great - just dont overdo it. I had someone else play my Lee Oskar without my permission (grrrrr….) and I soaked in peroxide overnight. The harp is fine, but the plastic did discolor some.
For regular cleaning, I normally just wash with dish soap and warm water for plastic comb harps.
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What about the wooden comb harps? When I take them on the road I think I can do soap and water in the hotel as I carry a soft toothbrush that I also use to clean my watch with. At home peroxide I think for a short time?
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I don’t play wood comb harps because they are supposed to be hard to clean. DO NOT soak them in peroxide or water. I don’t even think you can rinse them.
Soaking a wood comb harp will cause comb swelling and destroy the harmonica.
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You do NOT want to soak reed plates in Hydrogen Peroxide! Hydrogen Peroxide is a strong oxidizing agent and can harm brass by causing rapid oxidation, tarnishing, and corrosion.
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Really?? Had no idea. What do you use instead?
First, my outlook is to never let the harp get so dirty that it turns into a major job. Although vinegar is acidic and can cause damage to brass a bath in a very warm mixture of water and vinegar for a period of 15 to 20 minutes (NO longer) will cause no harm followed by a thorough rinse of water. If I feel the need I’ll use a very soft bristle toothbrush and gently brush the reed plates being careful to never rub the brush across the reed plate (horizontally) but only vertically downwards over the reeds. Let the reed plates out to thoroughly dry then reassemble. At times I’ll also soak the reed plates in very warm water with one or two Polident tablets for about an hour and then rinse thoroughly and also brush if needed. But, that’s the way I handle it and everyone has their own personal preference on how they wish to clean. 
For what it’s worth, if you wish to do a simple Google search about Hydrogen Peroxide and the harm it can do to brass simply type in the Google Search bar with: will hydrogen peroxide harm brass
That’s really good info. When I travel each month as a pro pilot I occasionally need a way to clean the harp in the hotel. I can take it apart using an eye glass screwdriver and probably use soap and water with a small toothbrush that I also carry to clean my Rolex. It needs cleaning as the sun tan lotion reacts with it. So now a way to clean both.
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Yeah, I forgot to mention that as a few drops of good ‘ol dish soap such as Dawn and warm water followed up with a good rinse is perfectly fine and totally harmless. I’ve done it a few times myself.
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