#WednesdayWisdom: How To Fix Green & Old Rubber Mouthpieces

Fixing green and nasty old rubber mouthpieces has long been a mystery for many technicians and players but luckily there is a great way to restore your mouthpiece to new or shinier than new condition! It takes a little bit of skill and there is a chance that you’ll drop the mouthpiece or damage the facing during this process so be careful. If you read these directions and feel nervous, don’t do it or test it out on an old junker MP you have laying around first. 

This concept can be applied to both clarinet and saxophone mouthpieces, so we’ll show you examples of each. 

Here’s what you’ll need: 

White vinegar

MusicMedic microfiber cloth

Carnuba car wax

MusicMedic Gilding Crayon

Cotton Swabs

Clarinet Mouthpiece Cork Peg (optional)

Melamine sponge (Magic eraser) 

or

2×3″ squares of 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000 grit wet-dry sandpaper

9 micro blue cloth

Step one: Cleaning

The first thing you’ll want to do is clean the mouthpiece inside and out. If there are not any calcium deposits, you can just rinse the mouthpiece with room temperature water or dish soap and water. If there are stubborn calcium deposits, make a solution of 25:1 room temperature water to vinegar, or one cup of water with a cap full of white vinegar. Submerge the mouthpiece into the solution and wait for about an hour checking it often. The calcium deposits should loosen so you can wipe them out with cotton swabs. If the deposits are very stubborn, you can soak longer and add another cap full of vinegar. Note that straight, or too much vinegar may discolor your mouthpiece further. When your mouthpiece is clean, move on to the next step.

Step two: Removing the Green

Now for the next step of cleaning-up the green discoloration, there are two options.  Both use abrasives, and both require due care, and carefully avoiding the facing, rails, and table.

Option one: I used to always use a Melamine Sponge, so that will be the first option, and will work with mouthpieces which are slightly green and don’t require a lot of abrasion. Should your sponge have two different sides, use the less abrasive white side. Using a little water on the sponge, hold the mouthpiece firmly, and take your time rubbing the green discoloration off. At the completion of this stage, the mouthpiece should be darker in color with a dull finish.

Option two: If the green discoloration is prominent, this option works better because it is more abrasive and it also gives you better control at avoiding the facing, rails, and table.  Note that Curt used his own personal bass saxophone mouthpiece for this demonstration, but again: do not attempt this if you don’t feel comfortable!  You will need wet-dry sandpaper in 1000, 1200, 1500, and 2000 grits cut into 2×3” squares, as well as 9 micron blue paper cut into strips.  Begin with the 1000 grit paper, fold it in half, dip it in water, and start lightly working it over green discoloration.  After this step, wipe the mouthpiece off and grab the 1200 grit, dip it in water, and repeat.  Once you have completed this step with the 1500 and 2000 grit papers, wipe it off, and rag the mouthpiece with a strip of 9 micron blue paper.  The mouthpiece will still be dull after this step. 

Step three: Polishing

To polish, you’ll need the MusicMedic microfiber polishing cloth and some Carnuba wax. Cut the cloth into 1” strips, place your mouthpiece on the peg and hold it tight or get a trusted friend to help. Holding the mouthpiece, rag the surface with the cloth and carnauba wax; just like shining shoes. You should see it starting to shine up very well and the black color should become more rich looking. Avoid the facing on this step of the process as well. Ragging the facing of your mouthpiece and polishing it will affect the way the mouthpiece plays. 

Once your mouthpiece is black and beautiful, you can give it a great new look by filling in the engraving with the MusicMedic gilding crayons. For instructions, check out: Using a Gilding Crayon

Close up of Purple Gilding Crayon

Now that your mouthpiece looks great and like new, rinse it in room temperature water with dish soap and let air dry or dry with a clean soft cloth.

Another Helpful Hint: The Universal Saxophone Neck Bag

Protect your mouthpieces from wear and tear with our our universal neck bag. It was designed for saxophonists who use a variety of mouthpieces. The micro fiber inner portion protects the finish of your neck and will not tarnish silver or other metals. The firm neoprene foam protects both mouthpiece and neck. We tested the bag by dropping it on the concrete floor of our shop from about eight feet and both neck and mouthpiece were still in mint condition afterwards. This should withstand the normal wear and tear given out by saxophonists!

The neck bag has an extra large mouthpiece pouch and will fit any size alto, tenor, or baritone mouthpiece. If your case has pockets for the neck and mouthpiece already use this pouch to store reeds and other accessories. Fits snugly in the bell. Click here to order today!