I posted near the end of last year about my expendables tray. A few people were doing it and for some odd reason my post got a lot more response than I could have imagined.
After I posted it I also got several messages asking me about the little spray bottle in the kit. It never hit me that carrying around a sprayer that cleans body oil and makes stuff clean was unique. I’m kinda germaphobe and I guess some of that has carried over to some of my work habits. But maybe that’s not a terrible thing… because film sets can be #Gross.
Cleaning Body Straps:
Clean them! Transmitter body straps are no different than underwear, change them out and wash them! At the very lease you should be spraying them down with disinfectant after use.
On Neopax’s website they advise that you wash your straps by hand or in a gentle wash cycle using a mild detergent. To dry them they suggest letting them hang dry.
Clean Transmitters:
Unless you are clipping the transmitter outside of someones clothes like to their waist band, that transmitter is gonna get sweaty body fluids on it. In my follow cart I carry around a second mini spray bottle but instead of Witch Hazel I have filled it with Rubbing Alcohol. I will mist a transmitter as soon as it comes off one actor so I can mic up the next person. I do this method instead of the alcohol wipes for 2 reasons.
- Cheaper? 2 bottles of rubbing alcohol can be purchased for less than $5 a piece. http://amzn.to/2EZegmo
- Better for the earth. Individually packed wipes are so wasteful. A microfiber cloth can be reused multiple times between washes and remember it will be covered in 99% alcohol anyway so its germ free. And other than the overall waste, you have to keep up with the rubbish until you find yourself next to a bin to dump your trash into, until than we both know what happens; we throw the wrappers into a zipper pocket on our audio bags, forget about it, and leave it in there for a month…. #Gross.
Concealers:
This can be a real judgment call because we often will sandwich concealers between layers of fabric. But sometimes its a hot one (not today, there’s a blizzard that just hit the North East… but like summer, some places have summer) and there is no avoiding it, sometimes actors sweat through their shirt. But if you are still reading this that means you know what I am going to suggest, disinfect them.
If you want to add some of this tips to your bag of tricks and to your follow cart here is a list to expand on the expendables you may already be carrying.
- Small MicroFiber Cloths
- Rubbing Alochol
- Witch Hazel (good for prepping skin before applying tape to it)
- Travel Size Toilette Spray Bottles
Everything above can be purchased at your local Target or Walmart but the links above all are for multipack items that are way cheaper and offer free Prime Shipping.
About the Author
Andrew Jones is a location sound mixer based in Los Angeles. He started in the TV and Film industry in 2004. You can email him at Andrew@HoldForSound.com
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