Music and Microbes

Any musical instrument with a mouthpiece probably is home to a lot of bacteria, many of which can make you sick. A recent study published in the Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (March/April 2011) found that wind instruments and their cases are contaminated with many microbes associated with infectious and allergic diseases. Bottom line: give your instrument a bath with soap and water (or clean according to instructions) and give the case a good shot of antiseptic spray on a regular basis.