Cleaning Conga Heads?

[RayBoogie]

What should I use to clean my Conga Heads?? Also, can I use Cocoa Butter lotion to lubricate the head? ???

[Simon B]

I rarely have any reason to clean mine. I have heard people speak proudly about the grime that has built up on theirs. One guy I know in London owns Robin Jones' old LPs - which in the day were used by a number of visiting Latin Jazz congueros, including many big hitters, who presumably couldn't arrange for their own sets to be brung over when on tour in the UK - and he never washes his because of the sacred sweat and grime that has accumulated!

I did clean my congas once though. I was hitting very hard with fingers that wern't up to the job and they got quite cut up. I used just warm water and a rag and it removed all blood-stains and brightened up the skins. I have also found that applying lard or manteca or whatever serves to clean the skin to some extent. I don't see that cocoa butter would be problem at all - a nice natural moisturiser.

Simon B

[JohnnyConga]

The way I clean my skins is first with rubbing alcohol that makes the dirt come off using a cloth after rubbing the alcohol into the skin as the dirt loosens. Then i use West African Palm oil,(this kind is good,ex.lard/manteca), putting a thin coat on using my fingertips only,the color is hard to get off your hands. Then under a "sunlamp" or in the sun for at least 4 hours for the oil to melt into the head. Then do not tune for another 24 hours.Let it just sit untuned....At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA

[TresGolpes]

Not too much, not too little...that is my suggestion

Have used Manteca de Corojo which you can obtain at the Botanicas (Santeria) stores. Works great on the hands too.
There is also Lexol which is a good oil to clean leathers sold in leather hobby shops.

The "too much" part comes when you obsess about putting more and more oil...if it gets in the edges of the skin as it comes down into the congas, what happens is...the edge becomes very soft and fragile, and then in one day, when you execute a giant flam cracked from way up there and it arrives at the head...CRACK ! There goes the whole head...

[RayBoogie]

Thanks guys.

[Michael S]

I have used just warm water with a VERY light scrubbing action from a plastic scrubber, figuring the animal that originally worn the skin used only water to stay clean. I live in a very dusty area and, due to the oil on the skin, it will build up a layer very quickly that will stick to it. I figure this deadens the head somewhat so I try to keep them clean.
After cleaning the heads I use liquid lanolin, available at the local health food store. Good for the hands as well.