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I must admit that at first I was somewhat skeptical of the Quick Horn Rinse ESW (QHR) cleaning device. I was doubtful of its efficacy above and beyond my current tried-and-true method for cleaning a horn – using a shower hose at the sink.
However after using it now several times to clean out my horn over the past few months, my doubts – like the crud inside the horn – were washed away. This is a great way to keep your horn clean.
To garden hose or not garden hose?
The QHR appears to be a sum of mostly after-market parts, assembled together into a nifty package.
In its default mode it is designed to work in tandem with a standard garden hose. I was not so thrilled about the idea of taking my horn outside in order to clean it, but for those that might have a large utility sink in a basement or a space to work with outside, using a garden hose might be more ideal.
Fortunately, the screw threads on the QHR are of a universal size and I was able to engage some technology from my aquarium cleaning equipment in order to keep the operation inside the house. The sink where I do the usual horn (and aquarium) cleaning already has a screw-thread adapter in place, and so this set up was most ideal for me personally.
The hose for my aquarium tool is much shorter and more flexible than the average outdoor garden hose.
For other readers who might have similar constraints I would recommend the QHR Sudser Tub adapter as an alternative to a garden hose, or if you have similar aquarium cleaning tools like mine, give that a try.
Setting up
The cleaning method and procedure are similar to what was noted previously in “How to use a Sink Hose Adapter to Clean a Horn.” The quickest part of the QHR procedure is the actual flushing of the horn. The set up however, takes some time.
It is always a good idea to remove all the slides when cleaning a French horn. In this case, the intense pressure of the QHR could actually blow out a slide and so they were put aside in a separate container. I used a plastic mixing bowl.
A unique aspect of the QHR device is that the attachable hose actually goes inside the lead pipe. Its rubbery surface is somewhat textured and it sticks inside the lead pipe with a water-tight seal.
The device also comes with a soap attachment, which is another very nice feature.
Staying dry
Getting a water-tight seal all-around was a concern before turning on the water. I did not want to have a geyser splashing water all over the bathroom, and so all the connections were both checked and doubled-checked.
I was able to get a fairly high flow of water pressure going before springing a leak. Next time I might use some thread-seal tape on the sink’s screw threads in order to prevent this one from returning.
That aside, I was able to get a good flush without any major incidents.
Final thoughts
As a method to keep your horn clean between annual or semi-annual professional cleanings, the Quick Horn Rinse ESW (QHR) is a superb device. I plan to use mine on a monthly basis.
Kudos to inventor Bill Ricker for creating the QHR and for making it available to all brass players at such a reasonable price.
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For another review, see “New Model of a Great Cleaning Device: QHR Sudser” on the Tuba-Euphonium Blog.
