To avoid long-term buildup and damage, the wing and boot joints of the bassoon should be swabbed daily with a silk swab. If multiple cotton or cheesecloth swabs are included in your bassoon case, pay very close attention to the size of the swab - the larger of the two should be used on the boot joint only. It will get stuck inside the wing joint and create a costly and unnecessary repair bill!
The bocal should be cleaned roughly once per semester assuming that the players are diligent about brushing their teeth and rinsing any food or drink sugars from their mouths immediately before playing. Daily swabbing or scrubbing is not necessary and could potentially scratch the delicate inner bore if done too frequently or forcefully.
The two videos below demonstrate proper cleaning of the wing joint, boot joint, and bocal.
The bocal should be cleaned roughly once per semester assuming that the players are diligent about brushing their teeth and rinsing any food or drink sugars from their mouths immediately before playing. Daily swabbing or scrubbing is not necessary and could potentially scratch the delicate inner bore if done too frequently or forcefully.
The two videos below demonstrate proper cleaning of the wing joint, boot joint, and bocal.
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