How to clean an ocarina and look after it
Most of the time, cleaning an ocarina means wiping the outside with a damp, lint-free cloth and letting it dry in the open after you play. The inside looks after itself if it dries. A plastic ocarina can also be washed; a wooden one should stay out of water. Never use a dishwasher, and never push anything hard into the windway, the narrow air channel in the mouthpiece.
We read the care advice of two makers, Pure Ocarinas and STL Ocarina, and of the shop Instruments du Monde on 30 October 2026. They don't all agree, so this page shows where they differ on the questions you are most likely to ask.
Why has my ocarina suddenly gone airy or quiet?
Water in the windway is the first thing to suspect, especially on a plastic ocarina. Your breath is full of water vapour, and Pure Ocarinas explains that it "condenses inside the ocarina when the instrument is cold". Ceramic soaks most of it up, because earthenware is porous. Plastic can't, so a long session can clog the channel. STL's advice for the airy sound this causes: "Tilt and gently drain the instrument, then allow it to air dry completely."
- Stop and tilt the ocarina so the water drains.
- Give it a gentle shake if tilting doesn't work. Pure suggests shaking; STL says not to shake aggressively, so keep it gentle and hold on tight.
- Leave it out to dry. STL says 20 to 30 minutes.
- If it's a ceramic ocarina that keeps clogging, look at how you play. Pure Ocarinas names two causes of saliva in the windway: looking down, and putting too much of the mouthpiece in your mouth. Our guide to holding an ocarina covers the first.
If the notes stay airy once it's dry, the cause is more likely breath, a leaking hole or the instrument: try our guide to airy or flat high notes.
How do you clean a ceramic ocarina?
Wipe it with water on a lint-free cloth. Skip scented products: Pure Ocarinas warns that "Earthenware is porous and will absorb the cleaner, which will gradually seep out over time, leaving a lingering smell". Pure adds that alcohol-based cleaners damage a shellac finish. If you can't tell what the finish is, treat it as delicate and use only water.
How do you clean a plastic ocarina?
Plastic is the forgiving one. STL says to "Wash with mild soap and lukewarm water", then rinse it and let it dry fully. Don't boil it or put it in a dishwasher: STL rules out both, and Pure Ocarinas warns that a dishwasher can melt or deform some plastics. Pure's own advice is to skip soap, though its reason is about porous earthenware.
Can you get a wooden ocarina wet?
Keep it out of water. Pure Ocarinas calls washing one out "ill-advised because exposing wood to excessive moisture may cause it to crack", and STL says wooden and metal ocarinas "should not be submerged in water".
How do you clean the inside and the windway?
Usually you don't. Pure Ocarinas: "Under normal playing, there isn't any need to clean the inside of an ocarina because if they are allowed to dry after playing, the chamber will stay clean." If dirt has got into the windway, Pure suggests folding a strip of paper and pushing it through, and removing layers if it sticks rather than forcing it. STL allows a thin strip only "If absolutely necessary".
STL is firm on what not to do: "Never scrape the labium edge", the sharp edge that splits the air, because "Damage here permanently affects sound." It also says never to use metal objects or anything sharp. If a note went wrong after you poked around in there, a fair tuner check will show you how far off it is.
Where ocarina makers disagree about cleaning
They disagree on water and soap on ceramic, shaking out water and hair dryers, and all three rule out the dishwasher. Choose the gentler option if the ocarina is one you would hate to lose:
| Question | Pure Ocarinas | STL Ocarina | Instruments du Monde |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water through a ceramic? | Fine under the tap if dried for several days | A light rinse if needed; avoid soaking a delicate finish | Never immerse it |
| Soap on ceramic? | No | Lists water only | Mild soap, outside only |
| Shake out water? | Yes | Not aggressively | Not covered in what we read |
| Hair dryer? | Not covered in what we read | Never | Lists one for blowing out debris |
| Dishwasher? | No | No | No |
The Instruments du Monde column comes from a shop's blog, updated 15 October 2026, not a maker's. The dishwasher is the one row where all three agree. Pure's reason is that "Thermal shock can cause the material or glazes to crack."
Should you disinfect an ocarina after someone else plays it?
Yes, if it has been shared, or if you've been ill. STL limits disinfecting to those cases and an unusual smell: a mild diluted soap solution on plastic, rinsed thoroughly, and a damp cloth only on ceramic, with no strong chemicals. It rules out bleach, boiling water and alcohol on finished surfaces. The shop Instruments du Monde goes further and says to disinfect after each use. We found no maker who publishes a tested way to sanitise ceramic, so with a shared ceramic ocarina the safest choice is not to share the mouthpiece at all.
How should you store an ocarina?
- Dry it first, then keep it out of sun, hot cars and sudden temperature changes, all of which STL warns against. Temperature also moves the pitch, so let a cold ocarina warm up before you check it on the tuner.
- Use a hard case for travel. Pure Ocarinas says: "Do not trust thin soft cases to protect ocarinas from drops, though." It suggests repurposing hard cases made for glasses or game consoles.
- Keep ceramic off table edges and be careful with neck cords. Pure notes that a ceramic ocarina breaks if dropped on a hard surface, and that one swinging on a cord can knock into things and break too.
Can you repair a cracked or chipped ocarina?
We don't have a reliable answer yet. On 30 October 2026 we read Pure Ocarinas' and STL's care pages and the list of pages on Songbird's site, and found no repair advice or service from a maker. A crack near the mouthpiece or the sharp edge is the one to worry about, because that is where the sound is made. Ask the maker before you glue anything.
Getting started on the ocarina