Klarinet Archive - Posting 000315.txt from 1998/03

From: "Scott Morrow" <sdm@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Mould on reeds
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 14:42:58 -0500

-----Original Message-----
From: Takashi Kawai <kawai@-----.jp>
Date: Thursday, March 05, 1998 4:55 AM
Subject: Re: Mould on reeds

>Several suggestions: (though you may already try them...)
>
> 1) Wash mouth and teeth before playing a clarinet.
> 2) Wash the reed under running water after playing a clarinet.
> 3) Dry the reed after washing the reed.
> 4) Don't eat and drink while playing a clarinet.
>
> The mould needs humidity, warm temperature and foods.
>So, the simplest method to prevent the mould from growing on reed is,
>removing their foods from the reeds.
>
> To remove the mould, the commertial bleach works, as posted in the
>past. However, if do so, be carefull to wash the reed well under
>running water. The commertial bleach is poisonous and strong alkali.
>It will harm your mouth.
>
--------- If you are going to use bleach, do not use it "straight out of the
bottle"! Make a dilute solution (try the most dilute you can get away with
that will work.) Some bottles of bleach actually do have "recipes" on the
bottle telling the proper concentration for specific jobs. I've never seen
one talk about reed mould, but I HAVE seen one that gave the procedure for
making water safe for drinking in the event of an emergency (I think it was
one teasoon of bleach per gallon of water). This is probably more the type
of dilution you'd want to try.
(Name brand bleaches are more likely to have this type of information on
the label, but that doesn't mean you have to buy that brand for it to work!)

-Scott

PS. Incidentally, what DO reeds eat?

-SDM

Scott D. Morrow
DNA Synthesis Core Facility
Department of Biochemistry
The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
Baltimore, MD 21205
(410) 955-3631