Use of sanitizer on ukuleles

Joyful Uke

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One email from a music store said that they would be wiping down all the instruments with sanitizer, and would do so any time someone played one there.

Any thoughts on whether that might harm the finish of an instrument?
 
No expert here but I would think some sanitizers might affect the finish. I'm not likely to test my hand sanitizer on my ukulele's. With all the shut down of all the club, meets, activities, I won't have anyone trying out my ukes any time soon.

Perhaps the music store has the knowledge of a product to use. Still I might check with the maker before I applied any think like that to my ukes.
 
I can't speak for all finishes but do know for certain that alcohol attacks at least some waterborne coatings. And, of course, keep it away from instruments finished with shellac, whether french polished or another means of application.
 
Sanitizers are 40 to 60% alcohol. It will affect the finish and leave residue.

I think I wish I had a carbon fiber uke right now.

Correction: Hand sanitizers are up to 70% alcohol as Besley stated. I have a couple of bottles that are 60 & 63%.
 
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Guess this is another reason to own a Enya Nova or Outdoor Ukulele. A pure solution of 70% alcohol won't harm a poly finish if wiped down quickly, but I wouldn't do it on a French Polish or nitro finish. And most all sanitizers will have non volatile components that would be left behind. Still, I guess it's better than nothing.
 
Sanitizers are 40 to 60% alcohol. It will affect the finish and leave residue.

I think I wish I had a carbon fiber uke right now.

IF you are using just alcohol and water it won't leave a residue. So just make your own from rubbing alcohol (70% is the sweet spot) and that won't be a concern.
 
Just wash those hands then you don't have to worry.
Stay safe everyone.
 
Just wash those hands then you don't have to worry.
Stay safe everyone.

So true. I always advocate washing before and after playing.

We only take plastic ukes to the hospital for the kids to play, they are wiped down after each kid.

Y'all be well!
 
Just a thought...since soap and water are actually recommended over hand santizer for zapping bacteria and viruses, wouldn't a dilute soap solution followed by a water wipe-down and drying be just as effective, if not more so? I don't think a quick wetting and wiping would have much effect on modern finishes, particulary polyurethanes. (I'm not talking about running your uke under the faucet!)
 
Hand sanitizers need to be at least 60% alcohol according to the WHO. 40% (80 proof) and 50% (100 proof) ethyl alcohol is the average of most whiskeys, which I'm pretty sure a little of it is better in me than on my ukuleles. If you have to play others' ukuleles don't touch your face and then afterwards wash or sanitize your hands asap.

I'm more interested in products like Clorox Disinfectant Wipes - bleach free which claim to kill the A2 flu virus on most surfaces. For instance, if a cardboard package is delivered by FedEx and I watch the delivery person walk away coughing, can I wipe it down with the Wipes before opening/touching or should I wait 24 hours which is what one study says the virus can live on cardboard. Inquiring minds...
 
When it comes to shops, it's normal for the people there to sanitize the ukes as many customers put their hands on them and could inevitably transmit the virus accidentally as many don't even have a clue if they're carriers at the moment. But yes, likely the solution can damage the finish, depending on the material used.
With this outbreak, I'm starting to panic a bit. I keep a safe distance from the people in my house, we try to stay as safe as possible. My dad was on a flight a week and a half ago and that's where the paranoia started from, we're just keeping safe.
I'm the only one who uses the ukes, so there's no reason to sanitize them, but I do wash my hands compulsively (and have a separate soap). But I feel this isn't enough, I'm going to get two soap dispensers cause it's the safest way to wash your hands, one for the sector of the house my parents live in, one for ours (the https://popular.reviews/best-automatic-soap-dispenser/#10_Opernee_OP-SD0001 is what I settled on after 1-2 days of research, it's cheap but seems to do the job well, at least that's what other buyers say).
It's best to keep safe these days, at least until this all blows over. And it's great to see that shop owners are conscious and do their best to prevent the spread.
 
...I'm going to get two soap dispensers cause it's the safest way to wash your hands...And it's great to see that shop owners are conscious and do their best to prevent the spread.

I've had 8 oz dispensers all around the house and in the car for years. I buy a pair of large jugs of the hand sanitizer and refill the little ones from them.

As for the automatic dispensers, from what I've read and heard, reliability is not their strong suit. Touching the manual type isn't so bad because you sanitize your hands immediately after touching it.

Lots of businesses are sending out emails about how they're taking special care to sanitize their stores. 'Taint necessarily so. I know people who work in stores, and the manager has regular employees "wiping down" areas when they're not busy. They're just hourly workers with no special training or enthusiasm for sanitizing.
 
You might look into UV light sanitizers. I have one that is for phones and other small items, but they make wand versions as well.
Or maybe put your uke in the sunlight (not through glass) for a natural sanitizing. Make sure the sun isn't too hot for the finish... keep an eye on it.

–Lori
 
Playing ukulele outside in the sun works for me.
 
This is a short, but very good article about why soap and water is more effective on Corona Viruses than santizers.

Chemistry Professor Explains Why Soap & Water Works
www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-soap-covid-19-virus-hygiene/

Quoted from a different article:
Alcohol works — to a degree

To sum up, viruses are almost like grease-nanoparticles. They can stay active for many hours on surfaces and then get picked up by touch. Then they get to our face and infect us because most of us touch our face frequently.

Water is not effective alone in washing the virus off our hands. Alcohol-based products work better. But nothing beats soap — the virus detaches from the skin and falls apart readily in soapy water.


From a friend that has a doctorate in biology and decades in Molecular Biology labs & research:

So two structural types of animal viruses, with or without a lipid (fat) layer on the outside (there are many other internal differences between viruses, e. g. the nucleic acids and types of proteins, etc). I disagree with the term "most" having the lipid layer since not all viruses have been determined structurally. The without lipid layer, like hepatitis, are resistant to detergent and hand sanitizer effects because the primary action of these two is to disrupt the lipid layer and influence infectivity of the viruses containing the lipid layer. If the lipid virus have screwed up or missing lipid, it can't get in your cells then they are done. The ones without the lipid layer are not affected by the detergent and sanitizer (effective ingredient is usually 62-70% alcohol optimally for all pathogens (usually isopropanol) and remain infective for the most part. However, the hand washing with detergent serves primarily to get goop off your hands etc (and all organisms associated with the goop), and also interact with all cells that have lipid or fat in them including bacteria, fungi, single cell protozoans like malaria, and non cell lipid containing viruses (but not viruses lacking lipid).

(Don't ask me to translate. :D) "Goop" is a technical term.
 
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If we have to keep doing this for a long time, people are going to start getting UV disinfectant lights.
 
I think that it is not a good idea to use sanitizer so often. You can use it once or two times per month ut should not use it so often. Sanitizers contain alcohol that with prolonged use is capable of destroying anything. I think a damp, warm washcloth and frequent wet cleaning in the room are enough.
 
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