FLIC — Full Length Instrument Care - A Better Way to Care for Your Flute
Full-length interior cleaning in one simple action.
Handcrafted in South Africa for flautists who play often and care deeply.
Designed by a flautist. Handcrafted for flutes.
The FLIC (Full Length Interior Cleaning ) Wand and unique Ribbon-Swab is a simple yet innovative cleaning system created to remove moisture and condensation without taking the flute apart, especially the Head Joint.
Made from fine grained hardwoods, and a super-absorbent and ‘hygienically white’ 100% cotton Ribbon-Swab, FLIC reaches the entire internal length of the flute — even right up to the faceplate and corners in the Head Joint.
It’s the cleaner that makes daily flute care effortless, especially for players who pick up their instrument multiple times a day and prefer a dry instrument interior..
Why FLIC?
Simple, effective flute care for musicians who want to protect their instrument without the fuss.
Full-length Internal Cleaning & De-moisturising in seconds
Reaches through the entire flute (Foot, Body and Head Joint) in one smooth action, all the way up to the faceplate and it’s corners.
No disassembly
Clean your flute between practice sessions or performance breaks without taking it apart, reducing unnecessary handling and wear.
Natural & gentle
Crafted from fine-grained hardwood and 100% highly absorbent cotton — no metal, no abrasion or scratching and safe for all flutes.
Why the FLIC Ribbon-Swab?
Why not just a flute-length sleeve? Because the head-joint is the most critical — and wettest — part of the flute. FLIC is engineered for direct, controlled, immediate drying.
- The head-joint end of the wand inserts into the sock of the Ribbon-Swab, which is precisely head-joint length — ensuring focused drying where moisture collects most.
- A FLIC Ribbon anchored in the head-joint slot of the wand ensures direct and immediate drying/mopping rotation inside the head-joint when turned — instead of the wand spinning freely inside a loose sleeve.
- No loose flopping. No disconnected rotation. No wasted movement.
- The ribbons twirl snugly down the wand and anchor easily into the handle-end slots — allowing direct, controlled mopping inside the body of the flute.
- This ensures no part of the swab becomes stuck — especially in tone-holes — while giving perfect protection to the inner tube.
- The FLIC ribbons also allow “bulking up” of the construct for a snugger fit and increased absorptive action.
How It Works
Three simple steps to cleaner, drier, play-ready flute interiors.
- Insert Insert the FLIC into the end of the in-use and fully assembled flute.
- Rotate gently — Rotate the FLIC Construct firmly to allow the cotton Swab and Ribbons to absorb the moisture and condensation along the full length. For an extra dry and polished interior slowly move the FLIC back and forth 2 or 3 times. .
- Remove the wand — your flute is clean, dry and ready to play again in seconds.
Meet the creator: Richard Twyford
I got my first flute 35 years ago on a whim, after watching the Mozart G major one night in London. It was a very old and very cheap Artley I found in the classifieds. I was also a delusional Jethro Tull ‘nut’ who thought a flute was like an easy-to-play overgrown pocket penny whistle kind of thing.
I found a teacher and refused to listen. I confess that I treated the poor instrument abominably.
And my flute stayed out 24 hours a day on the kitchen shelf next to the stove frying pan in my small bachelor apartment.... Click to read the full story
Ready to experience the FLIC?
Whether you play for pleasure, perform professionally, or teach others, FLIC makes caring for your flute simple, fast and reliable.
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