Violin cleaner ingredients enquiries

[LCF]

On 12/22/2024 at 8:28 PM, Randall The Restorer said:

Jeffrey,

As a Respiratory Care Practititioner and Food Scientist, I know quite a bit about saliva. 

Saliva is effective at cleaning violins and guitars because it contains digestive enzymes and surfactants, and is slightly acidic. 

I would suggest making your own synthetic "saliva" with the following ingredients:

• distilled water
• lemon juice or white vinegar or citric acid to adjust pH (use test strips from pharmacy)
• the product Beano (contains the complex carbohydrate digesting enzyme Alpha-galactosidase) 
• bromelain, papain, serrapeptase (proteolytic protein digesting enzymes)
• a tiny amount of liquid soap to act as a surfactant (Murphy's Oil Soap or Castille)

All of the above ingredients are inexpensive and readily available at pharmacies and natural/health food stores. Furthermore, they benefit overall human health IF consumed appropriately. 

**This recipe is based on textbook human and plant biochemistry and physiology.  I have not actually made this concotion. I would start with one tablet or capsule of each enzyme in 100 mL of water at body temperature and 6.2 pH.

 

Although they are often highly specific for their target compounds one has to be careful with enzymes. Proteolytic 'meat tenderisers' like bromelain can weaken animal glue and do not denature easily -- it takes some heat usually. What if a violin has glue size on the wood?

Likewise, amylases might digest gum arabic used in some finishing systems.  

 

 

 

[GoPractice]

Much of it is technique?

As I post this, not sure I can reveal much except that ( she does not use spit... ) her thought processes are remarkable. Unspoken.

But Chemistry, at the lab level or at some carpeted bench, matters?

Science is not the cure for most of us working strictly on observation. But overtime, there might be an observation, a theory? Who will fund the cure?

There is a remarkable individuality ( hate to use those terms, uniqueness ) to every travels of an instrument or person?

Everyone, most of us, eventually has a pricepoint.

[GoPractice]

Short cuts, certainly in performing a grand work of Sibelius or any major work take time.

Otherwise, who will pay for it?

[Randall The Restorer]

On 12/30/2024 at 5:07 PM, LCF said:

Although they are often highly specific for their target compounds one has to be careful with enzymes. Proteolytic 'meat tenderisers' like bromelain can weaken animal glue and do not denature easily -- it takes some heat usually. What if a violin has glue size on the wood?

Likewise, amylases might digest gum arabic used in some finishing systems.  

 

 

 

Any cleaner should be applied to the finished parts of instruments in very small amounts and left in place for brief periods of time.

[hnryhouuu]

may I ask if anyone know the reason or solution for avoiding these spotted patches upon using renaissance wax?

IMG_7004.heic

[David Beard]

Couple things:

 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure experience can be dissolved in alcohol. Use enough and it disappears entirely!  At least until after some sleep.

I very much liked Burgess' answer: start with mildest, work up cautiously and only as need.

 

But, Saunders gave the best answer to the OP:  If you aren't going to use the recipe ingredients, you aren't using the recipe!!

 

 

[hnryhouuu]

I’m sorry for this super late question, considering the discussion has gone this far, but i would like to ask for the concentration of ethanol in the spirit of camphor, as there are multiple concentrations of it on the market. 
 

also, i would like to ask if its normal if the finish looks a bit dull after using the formulation, as its not meant to be a polish? Or is it due to the alcohol content being not enough concentrated?

[hnryhouuu]

And is it normal that the mixture does not emulsify properly and return into two immiscible layers after a minute? 

[jacobsaunders]

17 minutes ago, hnryhouuu said:

And is it normal that the mixture does not emulsify properly and return into two immiscible layers after a minute? 

yes, water and oil seperate, therefore you need to shake the bottle before use

[hnryhouuu]

22 minutes ago, jacobsaunders said:

yes, water and oil seperate, therefore you need to shake the bottle before use

Yep, just checking whether if the ‘secret’ ingredient comes into play here

[Lisa Chamberlain]

On 12/22/2024 at 3:58 AM, Randall The Restorer said:

Jeffrey,

As a Respiratory Care Practititioner and Food Scientist, I know quite a bit about saliva. 

Saliva is effective at cleaning violins and guitars because it contains digestive enzymes and surfactants, and is slightly acidic. 

I would suggest making your own synthetic "saliva" with the following ingredients:

• distilled water
• lemon juice or white vinegar or citric acid to adjust pH (use test strips from pharmacy)
• the product Beano (contains the complex carbohydrate digesting enzyme Alpha-galactosidase) 
• bromelain, papain, serrapeptase (proteolytic protein digesting enzymes)
• a tiny amount of liquid soap to act as a surfactant (Murphy's Oil Soap or Castille)

All of the above ingredients are inexpensive and readily available at pharmacies and natural/health food stores. Furthermore, they benefit overall human health IF consumed appropriately. 

**This recipe is based on textbook human and plant biochemistry and physiology.  I have not actually made this concotion. I would start with one tablet or capsule of each enzyme in 100 mL of water at body temperature and 6.2 pH.

Cotton guaze pads; clean, bare fingertips; eyeglass cleaning cloths, will have a scratch-free scrubbing effect.

If you make this recipe and use it on an instrument or piece of furniture please let me know how it works.

Sincerely,

Randy O'Malley

 

Making a recipe card to include in the family cookbook. Thanks. Do you have one for nose grease polish too by chance? 

[David Burgess]

3 hours ago, Chamber said:

Making a recipe card to include in the family cookbook. Thanks. Do you have one for nose grease polish too by chance? 

"Mythbusters" tried to make candles out of ear wax...

[Lisa Chamberlain]

1 hour ago, David Burgess said:

"Mythbusters" tried to make candles out of ear wax...

You can keep your ear wax sir. Don’t know where that’s been. 

[David Burgess]

23 hours ago, Chamber said:

You can keep your ear wax sir. Don’t know where that’s been. 

Sorry, none of my bodily exudates are for sale right now. Perhaps my widow will keep some around on her alter, and later sell them off as needed to purchase the latest Ferrari.

[LCF]

7 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Sorry, none of my bodily exudates are for sale right now. Perhaps my widow will keep some around on her alter, and later sell them off as needed to purchase the latest Ferrari.

Was it earwax that drew you together?

Sounds messy.

[Lisa Chamberlain]

9 hours ago, David Burgess said:

Sorry, none of my bodily exudates are for sale right now. Perhaps my widow will keep some around on her alter, and later sell them off as needed to purchase the latest Ferrari.

That’s too bad.  It could have been a prolific career for you. 
And only a Ferrari? You sell yourself short considering basic economics is often in a highly sought after artists favor after they perish. Supply & Demand et al 

[joerobson]

On 12/15/2024 at 1:15 PM, David Burgess said:

Generally accepted "best practice" these days is to start with one of the mildest, but also most universal solvents, that being water.
The next step might be trying deionized water, which has greater solvent power than tap water. Then you continue to work your way up until you find something which removes what you want to remove, hopefully without removing anything you don't want to remove, and this can be different on different instruments.

There is no universal formula for "violin cleaner".

Well said

[David Burgess]

On 1/11/2025 at 12:46 AM, Chamber said:

And only a Ferrari? You sell yourself short considering basic economics is often in a highly sought after artists favor after they perish. Supply & Demand et al 

There happens to be a Ferrari dealership nearby, and my wife has never been into doing her own oil changes. Ferrari oil changes are rather inexpensive, compared to those of a Bugatti Veyron, which can cost up to 21,000 dollars.

My wife's life with me hasn't been exactly easy, so I wouldn't want to saddle her in my afterlife with multi-thousand-dollar oil changes, even though revenge can be fun.