How Temperature and Humidity Effects Your Clarinet

The best way to take care of and protect your clarinet is to  make sure it avoids large fluctuations of temperature and humidity such as going from very cold to very hot or very wet to very dry. The optimal temperature for a wood clarinet is 65 to 75 degrees and the optimal humidity is 45 to 55 percent.

Here are some points:

1. Never play a clarinet that is too cold to the touch.

2.  If you need to take your clarinet out in the cold, make sure that once it’s inside again you let it acclimate by leaving it in its case until it warms up.

3. Use a room humidifier if the humidity dips too low and a dehumidifier if it gets too high.

4.  Warm up your car in the winter and keep your clarinet with you in the car and not in the trunk. If it’s very hot in the summer, cool the car down before bringing your clarinet into it.

With some basic common sense and awareness, you can take care of your clarinet and protect it from cracking.