If you're a MT reader who has watched UK television in the last week, you've probably already been traumatised by a certain disinfectant advertisement: "The advertisement depicted two children seated at a piano. When one of them sneezed, a concerned mother reached for her can of Dettol and sprayed the keys." The Music Industry Association (the trade body for music gear manufacturers) called in the Advertising Standards Authority: "The company explained that the idea its product might do harm simply hadn’t occurred to it and agreed not to screen the offending commercial again, pending tests to find out whether, in fact, Dettol did actually represent a hazard to piano owners."
Phew.
Posted by Tom Whitwell.
Comments:
As an American who hasn't seen the commercial, this post (with no links) confuses me... did they actually spray into the piano, or just on the keys?
This is political correctness gone mad, I tell you. Parents should have the right to disinfect whatever instruments they want. Someone phone the Daily Mail this instant!
What strikes me as most bizarre is that they feel they need to disinfect the piano in the first place. If you want your kids to actually build an immune system, you can't have them live in a disinfected bubble. Sad, how ignorant people can be.
Wiki page about Dettol http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dettol says that it contains pine oil and other secondary ingredients which I'm thinking may not be very friendly to the "ivorine" (plastic keys) or the finish on the wood. Also, I read somewhere that it can be toxic to animals.
So what are we supposed to use now? And how are we supposed to know what is harmful and not harmful to our instruments if we don't try it on the instrument first?
That being said, can the same thing happen to a guitar?
Guitars are different: one mustn't disturb any of the bacteria on them or their value will actually decrease! I have a very rare old Strat, but it can't be played without wearing gloves and a face mask lest one contract The Plague.
I remember some old rocker trying to sue an air freshner company because their product stripped the finish off his 'don't touch it, don't even look at it' vintage guitar...
Ah, of course. I read it here first! http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2007/08/stealers-wheel-dude-gets-his-guitar.html
forget banning the commercials. Ban the disinfectants! Antibiotics have already begun to lose there effectiveness. That .1% that survive are the .1% you should be worried about. Whether its in your piano, or your toilet.
a really fascinating blog. I love all the technical music stuff. I'm actually in the industry myself. I manage a band called Cavalier (you can listen to them at www.myspace.com/cavalieruk). Once again, great blog. P
As a physician, i don't recomend desinfectant sprays to any mother. They are only profiting from germ-phobia and the promise that your kids won't ever get sick.
And that, as you know, is a lie. And it hurts keyboards too.
More dettol >> less immunity , ahh who cares ! let the world do what they want , atleast workers in dettol have money to eat healthy food by use spending a few bucks :P , it all burns down to nothing by the end .
Its all about the economy . Not helath or hygeine , not war or peace , not discrimination or racism , every action is what people pursue in scope of keeping economy in mind .
: 1:59 pm