Removing odors and disinfect harps


I bought this ionizer, which got rid of a bad odor/ taste from a collectable harp.
You must allow time for it to air out after using it, so the clean smell of
the ionization dissipates.

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Cool. @Slim is that what you use too?

Hi Luke @Luke ,

No, it is different. What I use is filled with water and several drops of liquid dishwashing soap. Whatever is to be cleaned needs to be covered by the water (which is why it is not good for wood or laminated combs). Then (for about 2-3 minutes) very high frequency sound waves pass through the solution and the dirt and grime get removed (along with any germs, etc.).

To clean a wood or laminated comb, the ionizer that @stevenlois1 pictured and uses would probably be better, but I do not know if the comb gets really saturated (which would make it a bad deal for those combs). What I do for wood & laminated combs is to simply spray a disinfectant on them and after 10 or 15 seconds I wipe it off and let it dry before putting it all back together again. Since I never let anyone else play my harps, I believe that my method works sufficiently well enough for my safety.

Regards,
– Slim

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Do you disassemble the harps before putting them in?

No need

In case your reply was directed to me, Luke @Luke , the answer is yes, I disassemble the harp. Harps with metal or synthetic combs do not need to be disassembled, but I do it anyway since it is so easy.

Regards,
– Slim

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I agree 100%., Slim.
I do that with all my harps when gapping them. I always play with a clean mouth, so I don’t gunk up the harp.
Sometimes, I play after medicating with Cannabis and certain strains transfer the smell to the harp. That is when I use the ionizer to get rid of the smell.

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@stevenlois1 I love your transparency here my friend. This forum rocks.

@slim thank you for replying because I was indeed wondering about your process. “It’s so easy to” is fascinating to hear because I’ve got some kind of big blockage to it. I have a tinkering-adversion syndrome, lol. Hopefully I’ll get over it one day so I can be cool like you bro. :sunglasses:

:raised_hands:t3: Luke

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Hey Luke @Luke,

I’m sure that my surgical skills learned long ago no doubt make working on my harps easier than it might be for others (especially if they do not have the appropriate tools).

But simple disassembly is fairly free of risk as long as you treat the reeds with utmost care. The best advice is to not touch the reeds at all, unless reed adjustment happens to be necessary.

Regards,
– Slim :sunglasses:

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