NAFFAQ: Can I clean the mouthpiece on my flute?

There has been a lot of discussion about spreading germs by sharing flutes at flute circles or when trying out new flutes from a flute maker. There are also many opinions about this. My opinion is just one of the many. It is tempting to try other folks flutes at a flute circle, especially when someone gets a new flute from a flutemaker that you may be interested in buying from. All I can tell you is that you should use your own judgement about sharing your flutes as well as playing others flutes. Definately don't play others flutes if you are feeling the least bit ill.
With respect to new flutes, there are a variety of methods that flute makers and resellers use to allow clients to tryout their flutes. For the flutes which I sell to my students in class, I use Purell hand sanitizer to clean/santize the flutes. Purell is a great product for this purpose (IMHO) because it includes moisturizers that help prevent the wood from dryings out and it minimizes and damage to the finish on the flute. Plus it has a nice smell.