Keep Your Microphone Clean & CoronaVirus Free

Recent events concerning COVID19 (Coronavirus) have led to a surge in enquiries to My Singing Lessons regarding microphone hygiene and how best to keep your microphones safe to use and clean. The concerns are valid, as let’s face it, after hours of use, vocal microphones are loaded with germs, saliva, and other grime that’s best avoided. It’s bad enough when the same performer regularly uses the mic, but the issue is compounded further when many different performers use a microphone. Recent pandemic events aside, good microphone hygiene should form an essential part of your day-to-day gear maintenance.

Microphone Grill

Where possible, we recommend you purchase your own personal microphone and avoid sharing. In some instances, of course, this is not possible or practical. My Singing Lessons cannot provide advice regarding what disinfectant methods are effective against the Covid-19 virus specifically; any such question should be directed to appropriate disease control experts. The article below relates solely to general information for cleaning methods for microphones.

How to Clean Dynamic Microphones:
The best way to clean a microphone is to remove the grille. Most vocal microphone grilles simply unscrew, e.g., a Shure SM58. If the grille doesn’t slide off easily, gently rock it back and forth while pulling it away from the cartridge. Do not pull sharply or with excessive force, since that could damage the cartridge or separate it from the microphone housing. Once the grille is removed, it can be thoroughly cleaned without damaging the mic. Since most of the offensive material on the grille comes from the human body, plain water should be a sufficient cleanser. Adding a mild detergent (dishwashing liquid) to the water will act as a mild disinfectant and remove odours absorbed by the foam windscreen. To remove lipstick and other material stuck in the grille, use a toothbrush with soft bristles. In some models, the foam windscreen can be removed from the grille, but this is usually not necessary since water will not damage the grille. Most Shure microphone grilles have a nickel finish that makes them resistant to rust, and replacing the foam windscreen can also be difficult and time-consuming.

The most important thing to remember is: let the grille dry completely before attaching it to the microphone! Microphones don’t like water, and although dynamic mics can withstand small amounts of moisture, a soggy foam windscreen will introduce more than is acceptable. Air drying is the best way to dry the grille, but a hair drier on a low-heat setting can be used. Care must be taken not to get too close to the grille as excessive heat can melt some windscreen material.

Cleaning must be done more carefully for microphones that do not have removable grilles e.g. a Shure SM57. Using a damp toothbrush, hold the microphone upside down and very gently scrub the grille. Holding the mic upside down will prevent excess moisture from leaking into the microphone cartridge. This technique is also useful for cleaning the foam that covers the diaphragm inside a Shure SM58. Again, keep the mic upside down, and be very gentle.

In live situations with multiple acts, it may be desirable to clean the microphones between acts. Use a diluted solution of mouthwash with water. Using a toothbrush and holding the microphones upside down, scrub the grille of the microphone. At the very least, this technique will make the microphones smell more pleasant to the performer. Also make certain the sound system is turned off before the cleaning begins!

This video was made by Higher Hz team at higherhz.com