Didgeridoo Care, Repair and Hygiene

Didgeridoo Waxing

Care for eucalyptus didgeridoos

The hardwood, eucayptus didgeridoo is a long piece of termite hollowed timber with or without a bees wax mouthpiece, and she needs only as much care as you would give to your precious piece of furniture.

First of all, you should start the care, as always, with prevention. Protect your eucalyptus didgeridoo from extremes; like prolonged exposure to heat and extremely dry or vet conditions.

If the environmental conditions are mild, than the euclyptus didgeridoos are easy to care for: Just apply, with a soft and clean cloth, some natural oil-based furniture polish and rub it in. But first, always, fix the mouthpiece, if it needs fixing. (It is harder to adhere it to an oily surface.) Here are some very straightforward instructions about didgeridoo waxing from the late Dreamtime server.

From time to time you should satisfy the thirst of your didge as well - although, she's a strange drinker. She fosters a 'drink till drip' of linseed oil. Stand your eucalyptus didgeridoo in a plastic container, a bit out of the vertical, and pour the oil in through its mouth, slowly turning the didge a full circle around its axis. The purpose of this slow turning, while pouring in the oil, is that the oil coat the whole inside surface of the bore. Let the oil drain out thoroughly. (The drained out oil is reusable.)

Repairing leaks or cracks in eucalyptus didgeridoos

Most didgeridoo repair work can be done by anyone with a bit of practical sense, while a wide, see-trough fracture, hole or break may frighten you, do not panic, seek the help of professionals. Playing a didgeridoo causes moisture from your breath to dampen the inside of the bore. With the use of the didgeridoo the frequently changing moisture content, the dampening and drying out, will lead to cracks in the instrument.

•   Do not worry about hairline cracks, but they should remained you about the prevention and the tender loving care mentioned above: the polishing and the oiling of the didgeridoo.
•   If the fractures are wider and the didgeridoo starts leaking then the do it yourself method is still easy: just fill the cracks or holes with some wood-filler, beeswax or glue. Apply only just enough filler to fill the gap, remove any excess immediately and carefully not to damage the artwork on the instrument. Even the most gentle sanding back of the excess later would make the artwork smudgy. Keep in mind that cracks make a painting looks more mature, while smudges are ruining it.
•   For larger damage seek the advice or help of professional woodworkers: carpenters, cabinet-makers, wood-turners, woodcarvers.

Didgeridoo hygiene

The moisture from your breath deposited in the bore of your didgeridoo is a very good breeding ground for germs. Their presence is acknowledged by a bad smell.

Any antiseptic sprayed a couple of times onto and into the mouthpiece will disinfect and deodorise your didgeridoo. Make this spraying a matter of habit:

•   if you share the instrument with others - it's a matter of courtesy,
•   if not - to prevent re-infecting yourself with infectious diseases.

You can make up your own natural antiseptic by mixing up one part of tea tree oil (or any other essential oil of your liking) with three parts of water in a spray bottle.