String instruments are very sensitive to extremes in temperature and humidity. While storing an instrument in a temperature-controlled room is fairly easy, humidity control is often difficult, as indoor relative humidity often falls well outside of the recommended 30-50% range. If humidity is an issue in your climate, we recommend a tabular instrument humidifier.
Instructions for use:
- Start by running a cold stream of water in your faucet. Place the humidifier in the stream and squeeze water through the holes into the sponge inside. Remove it from the stream and squeeze out the excess water.
- Dry off the outside of the humidifier. Be sure that no water drips from the humidifier – it should feel like a piece of limp spaghetti. Over-filled humidifiers can cause major water damage inside your instrument.
- Place the humidifier in the lower left f-hole, then place the instrument back in the case and close it. The instrument must be in its case for the humidifier to function.
- The humidifier should be filled every day, as you are not putting in much water to begin with. Be careful of the point on the f-hole when removing the humidifier.
- If your tap water has a high mineral content, you will need to replace the humidifier once a year. Using distilled water will greatly increase its life.