Forum - Banjo Ben Clark

Covid-19 & Musical Instruments

My wife just returned from a family funeral in a state where the Covid cases are rising rapidly. While everyone there tried to do the right things, nothing is 100%, so we’re doing the quarantine thing for 14 days since she returned home.
Everything she touches gets sprayed with 70% isopropyl alcohol, masks worn in the house and hand washing like a Pentecostal (see “Sunday Funnies” for reference.)

But what about my banjo? She never touches it, but there is a cheap guitar in the house she will pick up from time to time.

Any ideas on a safe & effective Covid-killer for wooden instruments?

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here you go Joe

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You can’t go wrong with Steve Martin…I’m washing my fiddle today :slight_smile: FUNNY!

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Gosh, I don’t own a washtub. Is it OK to wash my banjo in the shower?

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Well, for what it’s worth, I read an article just minutes ago that disinfecting surfaces is a waste of time because the virus is airborne indoors where my banjo lives.

~sigh~

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Hi @BanJoe The question is, is it worth the risk? Airborne droplets can fall on surfaces if you have ever picked up an instrument owned by a smoker you’ll know that the smoke fumes cling to the surfaces. Likewise if you stand near to someone who smokes a vaper you can visualize the cloud when they breathe out.

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Well, I guess if you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it. If neither of you are showing any symptoms, I probably wouldn’t obsess over wiping down everything in your house since it’s airborne anyway.

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You know @BanJoe, there are so many articles out there about Covid, that itscrazy. Personally, i think covid is a joke and is little more than a flu ( According to case vs death ratio). However, i could find countless articles supporting my position and countless article that would vehemently disagree with me. Not by any means saying your article is a hoax, but just a thought. :wink:

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Being the happy recipient of two open heart surgeries, aortic valve replacement & other things a doctor can bill you for, it seems Covid may a death sentence for me.
Or not, depending on which research account you read on any given day.
I just got a LIfetime Gold Pick membership & I’d like to use it a little longer than two months. :grin:
So we’re going full “Adrian Monk” on self-protection. No doubt some of it is a waste of time & money, but some may not be. As John Wannamaker said about marketing, “Half of what I spend on advertising is wasted. The trouble is, I don’t know which half!”

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That’s the reason so many people have died from it. Current death toll world wide is 1,372,099 and a lot more will follow for sure.

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Y’all please keep it nice, opinions are super diverse on this. Respect one another.

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I went to the horse’s mouth and here’s what I learned:

"We tested a few different methods for sanitizing instrument. The 70% isopropyl wipes and spray is safe for the finish on Deering banjos. We use a polyurethane finish so I imagine that this will be okay for most other gloss instruments or satin urethane finished instruments. If you are using a spray solution be sure to not let the liquid dry to the surface and wipe away any excess. A misty would probably suffice.

I hope this helps.

David Vega
Deering Customer Service Team
https://www.deeringbanjos.com/

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@Archie There are numerous reports of death counts being erroneously inflated. E.g. persons who tested positive for COVID dying in motor crashes and being counted as COVID deaths. In fact, deaths and cases from the common influenza are “unusually low” this year (cdc.gov), which may indicate that persons with common flu are being recorded as having the coronavirus. Of course COVID is a huge problem, but it is often over-exaggerated by the news media, etc, and seems more an attempt to seize American liberties than anything else, because apparently (according to the mainstream news media and liberal governers), rioting and burning down buildings will not spread the virus, but going to church will. I’m not saying that coronavirus should not be a concern, especially for those at risk, but it is very unsettling how much control the government can seize over the American people with little resistance.

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No disrespect intended.

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Politics be damned! Let’s get funny!

New York printer gets ‘hundreds’ of requests for hilarious Cuomo sticker (dailymail.co.uk)

@BanJoe @Michael_Mark @Stuart.Gamble I nearly fell off my Chair “I am washing my fiddle Today” “Washing my Banjo in the Shower” are these Euphemisms!

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@BanJoe - might look into a UVC light for your HVAC. UVC has been proven to kill viruses, bacteria and mold, so it may be effective against COVID. Most HVAC companies install them. Also, for pollen, mold, dust and some bacteria, a HEPA filter for your system could help. You’ll probably need a good duct cleaning first though.

https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-covid-19-and-medical-devices/uv-lights-and-lamps-ultraviolet-c-radiation-disinfection-and-coronavirus

I don’t have any serious medical conditions to worry about, but I do have stupid allergies to all sorts of airborne stuff. So, we get our ducts cleaned every few years, and it does help.

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@Banjoe, someone who violates American constitutional rights is not funny. Don’t get me wrong- I’m not totally anti-mask or anti-social distancing, etc. If a private business or homeowner asks me to wear a mask, social distance, etc., I have no problem with that, and if someone does object, they are free to go somewhere else; which is one of the many beauties of American liberty. But when a government cracks down and tells owners of private property what they must do inside their own private property- when in reality, they are not violating someone else’s rights- that is unacceptable, and one more step toward socialism. We can see this happening in states like California, Pennsylvania, etc. where state restrictions mandate ten people or fewer and mask-wearing IN YOUR OWN HOUSE. Look, if you’re at risk, by all means wear a mask, maintain social distancing, stay home, or whatever you want. But many state governments, and possibly in the future, federal government, are violating Americans’ rights to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness- and then try to justify this control by “science”, while in fact, the scientific method really shows that lockdowns are not a good policy when compared to opening up, having the vulnerable protect themselves, and preventing the economy from completely crashing.

You are free take whatever preventative measures you want in your own life, and you absolutely should be. It’s when something becomes a government takeover that it becomes a problem.

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@Michael_Mark Thats pretty much were i’m at. I was not intending to start a Covid argument. I’m just looking at how much the numbers have been inflated. i’ve heard personal storys of how covid label was slapped on a non covid death. I’m not saying covid is not real, but i do not believe it live to the brag. I think to each there own, and i’m not meaning to insult anyone by my opinion.

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Thanks Mike. Using information, indeed!

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