Marvel Loise
As human,we all know about so many things around us,but I bet you don’t know about the fact that microphones can be washed,yes,it can be washed. Here is calling out to churches,singers and producers to take care of their microphones, just as singers take care of their voices, we believe a microphone should be treated special too.
You are surprised that a micro phone can be washed right? I bet,the next question you would love to ask is, how then can a microphone be washed?
As you proceed with the reading of this article,you will be learning how perfectly well you can wash your microphones after it has been terribly used.
How to Clean and Maintain Your Microphones
Keeping audio gear maintained is a crucial part of any audio engineers’ job description. Clearing the dust from amp filters, fixing cables and the like.
One thing most church techs forget about is cleaning and maintaining their microphones. Let’s face it, we’re all human and sometimes we get coffee breath or forget to brush our teeth in the morning or sometimes you’ll have a guest speaker or vocalist who smokes cigarettes and the microphone will store up that smell over time that’s just unpleasant.
To clean the microphone, you will need:
- Mouthwash (I prefer Listerine or something else powerful!)
- Toothbrush
- Paper towels
- 2 small cups
Step 1
Remove the grill from the microphone and set it aside, put the microphone away. Most mics will have grills that can easily screw off. Its crucial that you keep the microphone intact, if you screwed off the element, you screwed off the wrong piece. The last thing we want is to get the microphone near moisture.
Step 2
Remove the foam filter from the metal grill. This can take some work, sometimes the foam filter doesn’t want to come out, but it will with a little persistent persuasion
Step three
what’s a better way to kill bacteria and buildup than what we use in our own mouths? Mouthwash is both sanitary and it’s safe just in case the singer puts their mouth on them immediately after cleaning. Fill a cup with mouthwash and put in all of the foam filters, set the cup aside and let them soak.
Step four
Get some hot water running, hand clean the metal filter using the toothbrush to get out any particles of food or lipstick that have gotten stuck (ew). There are some people who will put the metal grills into the dishwasher but its not advisable. If you have grills that are painted the paint can chip off. Set them aside on a paper towel to dry.
Step Five
Put a small amount of mouthwash in the second cup, just an inch or so from the bottom. Dip the tip of the grill into the mouthwash and leave it there for about 30 seconds. You don’t want to leave them in for too long because as I stated earlier most are either painted or polished chrome and it can damage the finish of the grille. Take it out and put on a fresh paper towel to dry.
Step Five
Put a small amount of mouthwash in the second cup, just an inch or so from the bottom. Dip the tip of the grill into the mouthwash and leave it there for about 30 seconds. You don’t want to leave them in for too long because as stated earlier most are either painted or polished chrome and it can damage the finish of the grille. Take it out and put on a fresh paper towel to dry.
Step Six
Dump the mouthwash from the first cup, and ring out the foam filters. Don’t rinse them with water. Fold them into paper towels and squeeze them hard to get as much of the mouthwash as you can.
Step Seven
Put all the slightly moist foam filters and metal filters in a warm spot. You can put them in a cardboard box outside on a hot day.
Step Eight
After a couple of hours, go grab the filters from their drying spot and reassemble them with the rest of the microphone.
Be sure to put the mic up against your mouth and take a deep breath in. MMMmmmm minty! i am sure vocalists LOVE when they are using a clean microphones. It is also a way to show the band that you care about them. They’ll see the fruits of your labor and you’d be amazed at how incredibly appreciative they will be. Use your best judgment on how often to clean them based on how many events you do a week or a month.
