For instruments that are metal use alcohol swabs and/or mix a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol with water in a spray bottle, apply it directly to a cloth to snake through the inside of your brass instrument and wipe down all exterior metal surfaces. Also, use it to spray both the inside and outside of your case.
Isopropyl alcohol that's above 70% should only be used on the strings and unfinished finger and fret boards. String, percussion, and keyboard instruments present fewer hygienic issues that can be solved simply by the player washing their hands before and after use for a minimum of 20 seconds.
You should never put rubbing alcohol anywhere near any part of your guitar. The acids in your hands corrode the string and speed up rusting and degredation. Rubbing alcohol is also acidic and while it may clean the oils it could also speed up string degredation as well.
Alcohol will make the body of a plastic clarinet brittle. You should NEVER use alcohol on a plastic instrument. There is a product called sterisol you can use to sterilize instruments.
If the cleaning process is thorough, musical instruments can be disinfected. Basic soap and water can be highly effective in reducing the number of harmful bacteria and viruses simply by carrying away the dirt and oil that they stick to.”
Occasionally, you can also choose to use a disinfecting wipe or cloth that has been lightly sprayed with disinfecting spray. To prevent damage, NEVER spray directly on the instrument. CAUTION: Avoid use of any caustic or abrasive products, or undiluted alcohol or undiluted bleach.
NOSOPROTECT is a high-performance concentrated solution for the cleaning and disinfection of heat-resistant and heat-sensitive instruments. It is recommended for all surgical instruments (scalpels, drills, curettes, forceps, scissors…) as well as medical examination instruments ( speculum, mirrors tweezers…).
Use a soft cloth to wipe off moisture and finger marks after playing. Never use silver polish or any other cleaner on your flute. To clean your flute use “saliva” or rubbing alcohol on your cloth. To keep pads clean, don't eat candy or chew gum before playing and never while playing.
Isopropyl alcohol itself is not conductive. A 99% or even 70% alcohol/water solution will only be as conductive as the water portion, inhibited somewhat by the alcohol. It is conductive enough to worry about, though, so don't run the electronics involved until they're completely dry.
Daily Clean
After each use, wipe off rosin dust and other residue with a dry microfibre cloth. Then about every month or so or when the sound quality noticeably diminishes, becomes muffled and the higher harmonics fade, a deeper clean will be needed using isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) as the cleaning agent.
Flammable Surfaces
Rubbing alcohol is a highly flammable substance, so you should never use it to clean flammable surfaces, or areas that are exposed to open flames (such as a fireplace). It's also a smart idea to steer clear of surfaces that routinely get hot.
Don't Substitute Anything Else to Clean Your Bass Strings
Some strings may rust as a result. Rubbing alcohol, as from a drugstore, has water mixed in it. So, don't use rubbing alcohol as a substitute. Just use denatured alcohol from your local hardware/home improvement store.
Can you use rubbing alcohol to clean a piano? Rubbing alcohol must be diluted well to be safe for keys. If you use it regularly to clean your piano, you risk drying out the keys and cracking the finish. Straight alcohol can also melt the lacquer off your key's finish.
For instruments that are metal use alcohol swabs and/or mix a solution of 70% isopropyl alcohol with water in a spray bottle, apply it directly to a cloth to snake through the inside of your brass instrument and wipe down all exterior metal surfaces. Also, use it to spray both the inside and outside of your case.
Rubbing alcohol is fine to use for disinfecting unfinished woods like rosewood, ebony, and maple. If you have a lacquered board, a cloth very lightly dampened with soap and water will do the trick.
Alcohols have been shown to be effective as bactericides, fungicides, and virucides. However, they cannot be considered for sterilization because they do not kill bacterial spores.
Isopropyl alcohol removes oils, adhesives, fingerprints, soldering flux and other contaminants, making it ideal for cleaning electronics. However, it is important to note that only alcohol with a grade of 90% or more should be employed on circuit boards and other internal electronics.
The main difference between isopropyl alcohol and rubbing alcohol is the concentration. The concentration of isopropyl alcohol is 100%, while the concentration of rubbing alcohol is less because of the addition of water. Otherwise, the two liquids have similar properties. They are antibacterial and antiseptic.
You can buy rubbing alcohol with a concentration of 70% or 99% isopropyl alcohol. Even though you may think the higher concentration is more effective, experts say 70% is actually better for disinfecting. It has more water, which helps it to dissolve more slowly, penetrate cells, and kill bacteria.
Don't use rubbing alcohol
A guitar that is overly dry can become damaged overtime. You don't want this. If you're trying to get the grime off of the strings, you can use cleaners made specifically for guitar strings. We recommend Stringjoy's Natural Guitar String Conditioner.
Alcohols are not recommended for sterilizing medical and surgical materials principally because they lack sporicidal action and they cannot penetrate protein-rich materials.
If you have no cork grease (on sale in all music shops) you can use paraffin grease or Vaseline.
Surgical instruments are often cleaned using water, detergents, or enzymatic products. While cleaning removes physical contaminants from instruments, it does not eliminate all microorganisms present on their surface.
For all nonstandard sterilization techniques, gross contamination should be removed from all instruments/equipment by scrubbing with soap and water first. Chemical sterilization elements should never be combined. Steam with distilled water is the preferred sterilization technique.
Ethylene oxide (EO) and liquid chemical sterilization (LCS) are typically used for devices that would be sensitive to high heat used in steam sterilization, as well as rubber and plastic devices that can be damaged by irradiation.