CARING FOR YOUR DIDGERIDOO

Maintaining the inside

If you don’t have a wooden didgeridoo, you will not have to do anything to the inside except for the occasional clean. If you have a wooden didgeridoo, you really shouldn’t have to do too much either. However, there are a few measures you can take to maintain its condition and help it last longer. The information below gives advice on maintaining the inside of your didgeridoo.

Traditional didgeridoos

Traditional didgeridoos from Northern Australia do not have any protective coatings on the inside. This preserves the natural quality of the instrument’s sound, one which comes about from the exposed, intricate patterns of termite grooves within the raw eucalyptus wood.

It is not recommended that anything be done to the inside of traditional didgeridoos as it will affect the acoustics of the instrument. Furthermore, oils applied to the inside of the didgeridoo can penetrate to the outside and blemish the ochre-painted artwork. As mentioned previously, the didgeridoo will be best preserved through avoiding extremes of moisture and temperature change.

Non traditional didgeridoos - Varnishes, resins and glues

Protection from moisture is especially important on the inside because this gets quite wet from saliva and all of the warm air that is being expelled from the lungs. The most common method of sealing the inside of a non-traditional didgeridoo is to apply some kind of synthetic sealant, such as a varnish, resin or wood glue.

Most good quality, non-traditional wood didgeridoos purchased from reputable, specialist suppliers will have had their bores finished in one of these ways to protect it from moisture and enhance its longevity.

These finishes are best for making the inside of the didgeridoo completely waterproof. Varnishes or resins are especially popular because of their durability and the smooth glass finishes that result. The type of finish used will depend on the many preferences of the didgeridoo makers.

If the bore of your didgeridoo has been finished with a resin, varnish or wood glue, there will be little maintenance required as it will provide a protective, waterproof coat that will last many years.  The best way to look after your didgeridoo if you can see that it has been finished with one of these methods is to leave it alone!

Further treatment to the inside of the didgeridoo will affect the quality of the sound and you may be disappointed by the result. If you really do wish to treat the inside of your didgeridoo, or your didgeridoo did not come sealed and you wish to seal it, a non-toxic varnish or resin is a good choice to improve longevity and crispness of sound.

This can be applied in a similar way to that described below for oils. Make sure you are fully aware of the properties of your sealant of choice and that it is safe to use for its intended purpose. Always follow the recommended application instructions.

Non traditional didgeridoos - Oils

Many didgeridoo makers like to use oils for a finish because it is more of a ‘natural’ product, it is easier to apply and the oil soaks right into the didgeridoo, helping it to harden and become more stable. Oil will also help the wood be resistant to moisture, however it will not create a waterproof seal like synthetic sealants do.

If your didgeridoo has been finished with oil, you can reapply oil if you feel the didgeridoo is drying out, say once or twice a year. Preferably, use the same kind of oil that was used initially. If you don’t know the oil that was used, pure tung oil is probably the oil of choice, however Danish oil also seems to be a good option.

Eucalyptus and citrus oil can also be used as an additive to your main oil. Ensure that you are completely aware of the properties of the oil, its effect on wood and safety requirements before applying the oil.  Also ensure that all oil had dried thoroughly before you play.

Non traditional didgeridoos - Beeswax

Didgeridoos are occasionally sealed with boiling hot beeswax, although this is less common nowadays as the use of varnish or resin becomes more popular.  If your didgeridoo has a good beeswax seal, it will probably last a long time, although probably not as long as other finishes.

However if it has begun to age and deteriorate, it may need another recoat. Recoating it will anything other than beeswax will likely not work as the wax will prevent the alternative finish from adhering properly.

If you do want to apply a new beeswax seal, the beeswax will have to be boiling as you apply it. This can be applied similar to the method for oiling the inside of the didgeridoo which is described below.

How to oil or seal the bore

Below is a general summary of how you can go about oiling the inside of your didgeridoo. This method can also be used for applying varnishes, resins or wood glues.

  1. Entirely remove the beeswax mouthpiece.
  2. Turn the didgeridoo upside-down and block the mouthpiece with whatever you have available. Just make sure that oil will be prevented from escaping.
  3. Pour in a generous amount of oil and block the bell end in a similar way.
  4. Lift up the didgeridoo and slosh the oil back and forth as you rotate it, ensuring that the oil is reaching all parts of the bore.
  5. After a good coating, remove the blockage from the bell end and tip the oil into a bucket for reuse later if you wish.
  6. Wipe residue oil away from the outside of the bell end and stand it where it can drain and dry freely. If you want, you can place it upside down to allow the finish to accumulate a little more at the mouthpiece end where extra protection will be needed.
  7. Remove the blockage from the mouthpiece and wipe away residue oil.
  8. Allow to dry completely before applying another coat.

Alternatively, if you find you can’t make a good seal when blocking the ends of the didgeridoo, try this method:

  1. Place the bell end of the didgeridoo in a bucket.
  2. With the didgeridoo at an angle, pour oil into the mouthpiece end as you rotate it, allowing the oil to coat all sides of the didgeridoo before draining into the bucket.
  3. Once all the oil has been poured, turn the didgeridoo around and put the mouthpiece end into a new bucket.
  4. Pour the oil from the old bucket into the didgeridoo once again. This oil will collect in the new bucket. Repeat this method a few times until you are happy you have thoroughly coated the bore.

Either way, it’s going to get messy!

Pouring water in the bore

Some people will tell you that putting water down the didgeridoo regularly does it a lot of good. Certainly, this technique was done by the Aboriginal people because it can create a more resonant chamber to temporarily improve the clarity of the drone.

This however was done by the Aboriginals who could easily acquire a new didgeridoo when their old ones started to deteriorate from this treatment.

Pouring water into a didgeridoo will only cause problems when the wood starts to alternately swell and then dry out. This sudden movement will cause cracking and splitting.

The seal in your didgeridoo should already be giving you a crisp, bright drone, so there should be no reason why you want to put water in it, apart from the occasional clean. This method is not recommended for any didgeridoo except for your ‘experimental’ one.

If your didgeridoo doesn’t have a sealed bore, you can spare the instrument, and you are curious about the affect of water on the sound of your drone, give it a go. You will have to apply water regularly to limit shrinkage. Doing it off and on will only speed up the deterioration process. Observing what water does to your didgeridoo will certainly help you understand the nature of wood which will be useful when selecting and maintaining other didgeridoos.

Cleaning the bore

The bore of the didgeridoo can be cleaned out from time to time to remove any residue that may have attached itself to the inside. This is not an essential requirement though and it will depend on your particular hygiene concerns and whether your didgeridoo can handle some extra water down the bore.

If you do decide to clean the bore, it can be done so with a mixture of warm water and a small amount of sugar soap and tea tree oil. If you have a wood didgeridoo and you are not sure if it is fully waterproof, you will only want to do this occasionally.

If you have a didgeridoo made from another material such as plastic, cleaning your didgeridoo in this way will not be a problem.

If you are sure that your didgeridoo is completely waterproof inside and out, you may want to clean your didgeridoo a little more regularly to flush out the saliva from your didgeridoo which can deteriorate finishes such as epoxy resins. Especially the mouthpiece end of the didgeridoo, where the saliva accumulates most, could be cleaned out with a damp rag a little more often.

If your didgeridoo is being passed around to a few different players, you can sanitise the mouthpiece with your own natural antiseptic, made by mixing up one part tea tree oil with three parts of water in a spray bottle.

Although there seems to be a lot to learn about keeping a didgeridoo in good condition, you shouldn't be too concerned. Didgeridoos are generally pretty tough instruments and can go for many years without being damaged or requiring much maintenance at all. Just be aware of these issues to help extend the life of your didgeridoo.

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In summary

Didgeridoo tip Traditional didgeridoos from North Arnhemland are generally not sealed on the inside.

Didgeridoo tip Non-traditional didgeridoos are often sealed with a variety of products including varnishes, resins, glues and oils.

Didgeridoo tip Sealing the inside of a didgeridoo will help protect it from moisture and may improve the sound.

Didgeridoo tip Make sure you know the exact properties of your chosen sealant before you decide to seal the inside.