Cleaning The Shofar
The best method of cleaning was demonstrated on a video by Dick Reuben.
1) Buy a Nerf ball (soft and pliable), an ear plug(the squeeze and insert type available in most drug stores). some fish tank gravel, (not sand and not very big) and some alcohol
2) Plug the mouth piece with the earplug. Pour in enough gravel that it can be easily shaken. Plug the bell end with the nerf ball.
3) Play the "moraca" (shake it hard!) for about 15 minutes.
4) Pull out the nerf ball and empty out the gravel. pour about a cup of Alcohol in and replace the ball. Shake for about a minute.
5) Pull out the ball. Pour out the alcohol. Remove the earplug. let it dry. The alcohol should dry quickly. It should eliminate the smell and disinfect the horn
Click here to download the file for reference.
DO NOT let any liquid stay in too long. If necessary use a mild bleach solution but realize it will take a few days for the chlorine smell to dissipate. You could also use witchhazel with spearmint but use it sparingly. Stubborn smells can also be eliminated with odor neutralizers.
More About Cleaning
Shofars that are quite smelly as we might have experienced as from Israel are from my feedback that they are very likely not made by a proud rabbi but more often by the Arabs around Israel for the tourist market. But you can try and use the following method or avoid this problem substantially by getting a shofar that is made in my workshop.
It must be said here that the shofar being an animal horn might still retain some smell although not offensive. Also constant cleaning still need to be done subjected to the frequency of usage by pouring lukewarm (at least 50% hot) to dissolve the saliva that will accumulate in it. Then you dry it in the sun or use a hairdryer.
In the course of my "Shofar Blowing workshop" & people coming to see me with their problematic shofar for servicing, I find that the airway is not properly cleared and thus is tough to get a good sounding. It will need a look-over to try & solve this. Most who go to visit Israel in their eagerness to buy a shofar (as a souvenir) will just get anyone be it good or otherwise, thus muttering later that a shofar is "Very difficult to blow". Thus discourage & discouraging others also.
The devil is very crafty in getting this shofars produce by his "team" to deter this shofar. He doesn't like to hear this shofar sounds at all for Satan is waiting for the last blast also & jumps whenever a shofar is blown.
The reason that most shofarot smell bad is that when they are clean at the factory they cannot remove all residues from the inside. This residue is sinew and flesh that is clinging in crevices and the smell is the decaying.
Let the trumpet Sound