Living in northern Wisconsin there is always concern of mold or mildew building up in my Native American style wood flutes along with my rim blown. During the summer months especially July and August the humidly can become very high and the air temperatures climb into the upper 80’s and low 90’s. These are perfect conditions for mold or mildew to grow.

If you don’t take extra precaution of making sure to clean your wood flutes it might shorten the playing life of your precious gem. I found these 2 great articles on how to clean your wood flutes using common natural products.

Cleaning your flute from mold and mildew

Wood flute care.

Some suggestions for care of your Native American Wood flute.

• Never store them in the direct sunlight.
• If they wet out take off the bird and stand up on end to dry out. I heard of some using a hair dryer to speed it up. I wouldn’t recommend it.
• Avoid sudden temperature differences to the flute. An example would be taking them out of a warm house and into a sub zero northern Wisconsin night without being wrapped nicely in a warm case.
• Be extra careful when transporting them in a car. I had a performing world flute friend smash the barrel of one in the doorway of his car. That is not a pretty sight. I seen grown adults cry over this.
• Don’t play a wood flute until it wets out. This is a good excuse to buy more flutes so you can switch up more often.
• Never use anything thing that is abrasive to clean your flute. Think before doing.

I like to store my wood flutes on a wall rack that is out of the direct sunlight. If I travel with them I use a hard shell gun case that is lined with foam. It might look silly carrying a gun case into restaurant to play but it keeps them in good shape. I got kidded once when a customer said "what do you have in there a Tommy gun?" Once you unload the flutes and start playing they forget all about it.

Cleaning the outside of your flute depends on the finish the flute maker used. If they used a polyurethane finish then you just wipe it with a soft rag. If they used oil you might have to apply a coat. If you can’t tell what type of finish it is ask the flute maker who crafted it.

There is some controversy about what can of finish to use in the flute maker circle. Personally I like the polyurethane finish. It dries to a very hard and durable finish. It doesn’t smell like an oil finish can. Finishing oils can darken the wood and can leave an odor that you can smell when playing one. I have a transverse wood flute made of Padauk wood. They soaked it in oil for a couple of days which gave it a very dark color and a distinct smell. When I got it in the mail and started to open the package I was looking for the beautiful orange color that Padauk is known for but instead got a dark and oily smelling flute. Since the day I received the flute it has aired out a considerable amount. But you still can smell the oil finish they used.

I like to use polyurethane finish on the flutes I make. But occasionally I do use oil if I want to darken the wood.

Wood flutes need specialized care. They are sensitive to air temperature and humidity levels. Treat them with TLC and they will treat you right. If you are wondering about the wood flute that was smashed in the car door the owner found a flute maker that would fix it and again it is playing beautiful tones.

KCDoberstein