Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning supplies are under the case, inside the case cover.

When you purchase a new Powell flute, you'll notice that it comes with a microfiber polishing cloth, a swabstick, and a gauze swab.  It's essential to your flute's well-being to keep it clean and use these items everyday, making sure to swab out the flute thoroughly and use the cleaning cloth to wipe off the flute after you play.  It seems elementary, but these basic steps of flute maintenance should help keep your flute healthy and prevent issues that might occur in flutes that are not cleaned regularly and properly.

The cleaning items that come with your flute each have their own longevity, so we spoke with Powell's Director of Service and Quality, Rebecca Eckles, about finding replacements for these items when the time comes.  In a previous post, we discussed how you can clean the polishing cloths and swabs (follow this link to read that post).  However, we realize that eventually, these items will need to be replaced -- or perhaps you would simply like to have extras.  Luckily, each item is available through the VQP Shop on the Powell website.  Ciick here for the link to polishing cloths, here for the link to swabs, and here for the link to swabsticks. These links take you directly to the flute supplies, but swabs and swabsticks for piccolos are also available in the VQP Shop.  Follow this link for a one-piece piccolo swabstick and this link for a two-piece piccolo swabstick.  Silk piccolo swabs are also available -- follow this link to view them.

We realize that the gauze swabs will probably be the first cleaning supply that needs to be replaced, and Rebecca mentioned that you could use something other than gauze. She currently uses small pieces of t-shirt material as a swab for her flute and told us that you could use this or any material that is 100% cotton, absorbent, and soft.  As simple as it seems, it will do the trick.  And remember, do not use any treated cloths for the inside or outside of your flute.  Keeping your flute clean will make a world of difference.

Cleaning supplies that come with a new Powell flute: swabstick, swab (inside cloth), and polishing cloth.

Gauze swab inside the polishing cloth.

Standing Waters

Repair technician Rachel Baker swabbing out a kingwood Custom piccolo.

We all want the best for our flutes and know that the question of humidifying wooden ones in particular comes up quite often. Should you use a humidifier?  Is it overkill?  Can it cause more problems?

Well, we've gotten feedback from our staff, customers, and artists, and we realize that there really is no "one size fits all" answer to this question.  Some people do not use humidifiers and travel from place to place, climate to climate, and have no problems.  Of course, if you are playing your wooden instruments regularly and taking proper care of them, you may not need to use a humidifier.  In a previous post on wooden flute maintenance, we shared the following:

Our wood technician assures us that the best way maintain a wooden flute is to play it regularly.  If you play it for a while, leave it for several months (untouched), and then pick it up to play it, you will notice differences which may make playing the instrument difficult.  However, if it is played consistently, the wood will be acclimated to patterns of being played, swabbed out, placed in the case, and then played again.  

However, one thing that did surprise us recently in a conversation we overheard was the idea that wooden instruments do not need to be humidified because there is enough moisture in the bore after playing.  Hmm.  Well, yes, there is certainly moisture in there after playing, but you do not want to leave it that way!  With wooden instruments, you have to make sure that you thoroughly swab out the bore of the body and headjoint.  Never leave moisture in your wooden instrument -- it could lead to all kinds of problems, including cracking.  

However, we don't want to forget about metal instruments when thinking about "standing waters."  They are certainly not good for the inside of metal flutes, so proper swabbing is crucial there as well.  And, make sure to never put anything in the flute bore and leave it there to absorb the moisture -- like those "fuzzy" looking accessories.  If you use something like that inside the flute to absorb moisture and leave it in there, well, you'll only be left with something moist and fuzzy inside your flute with no place for the moisture to go!

So, remember, swab out your flutes and piccolos thoroughly, take good care to keep them clean, check to make sure everything looks alright inside and out, and if you have any questions or concerns, don't let it wait -- contact your repair technician.

Keeping it Clean

Don't worry -- this can be cleaned!

We had a chance this week to catch up with our Customer Service Manager, Rebecca Eckles, and touch on an interesting topic -- cleaning your swabs and cloths!  We love out instruments, and we want to keep them clean.  So, keeping your flute clean means that you have to make sure the materials you use are clean as well!

Rebecca tests flutes for us here at Powell all day, so she goes through many swabs and cleaning cloths.  At the end of the day, she may find herself with a bunch of swabs and microfiber cloths that are certainly "well-used."  She told us that because she has so many, she takes them home and cleans them simply by putting them in the washing machine on the delicate cycle.  If she only has a few, she may do a quick hand-wash in the sink.  Either way, it is perfectly fine.  You want to make sure that you use a very gentle detergent in the washing machine (like Woolite), and do not use fabric softener.  If you are hand washing your cloths in the sink, you could also use something like Woolite or even a mild dishwashing liquid.  If your swabs are silk (like in the case of a piccolo), you definitely should wash them by hand in the sink.  Whether you are washing cloth or silk swabs and cleaning cloths, do not put them in the dryer -- simply let them air dry, and they will be perfect!

Now, we realize that you may not have a whole load of swabs and cloths to launder, but that is okay.  If you choose to put them in the washing machine, you can always put them in a smaller load -- maybe with some other dishtowels or something similar.  You may want to put the swabs and cloths in a mesh "lingerie bag."  Keeping your cloths and swabs clean will make a world of difference, and it is quite easy to do -- so don't be afraid to do it yourself.  Just remember, it's okay to wash them, but do not take them to the dry cleaner!