 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: vrufino
Date: 2004-08-19 18:27
When I open a new box of reeds I soak them in water for a few minutes , place them on a paper towel to dry, then put them away until the next day.
(I do not want the first mositure the reeds contact to be saliva). I recently did this with a box of Van Doren 56's, and since the humidity has been high, mold grew on most of the reeds in the box. Does anyone have advice on how to get rid of the mold without damaging the reeds?
Dr. Vincent J. Rufino
Professor of clarinet and saxophone
St. Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-08-19 18:56
You might try soaking them in a hydrogen peroxide solution -- also, try drying all your reeds by rubbing them between your thumb and index finger, from heel to tip (never in the other direction!) --- this not only dries the reed faster, it also helps close the pores and gets a bit of skin oil into the reed, both of which seem to improve its longevity and stability.
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Author: Brenda
Date: 2004-08-19 20:23
Vandoren 56's, ouch, that sounds expensive! If you put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in the soaking water then you can avoid the mold in the first place. Then proceed with the breaking-in process that's proved useful for you, or use what's been posted previously.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-08-19 21:35
A "hard" bristle toothbrush, if you can find one, and good scrubbing with toothpaste usually works. That and peroxide will clean things up and get rid of the horrible taste.
On the IDRS site, one oboist said that a small ultrasonic cleaner also works, for both mould and routine maintenance. They go for as low as $22 on eBay. I'll probably get one sooner or later.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-08-20 10:40
(Disclaimer - I sell a reed storage contraption) Drug store hydrogen peroxide - 3% - for 15 minutes with a little rubbing of a paper towel heel to tip should remove the mold. If you store them at less than 50% Relative Humidity there will be no mold and mildew growth. A sealed plastic box (food storage disposable box will do) with some silica gel will work wonders to stop mold growth.
The Doctor
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-08-20 13:20
Try Reed Life, which is an amazing product.
jmsa
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-08-20 14:04
.....but why soak them in water in the first place?
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Author: William
Date: 2004-08-20 14:21
You wrote, " (I) place them on a paper towel to dry, then put them away until the next day".
I would suggest (in fact, I do) that you let them dry on a glass surface in the open air until you next try them. This may be for several days, but for me, it is usually only one. FWIW, I initally moisten my reeds with saliva until wet--not "soaked"--and then rub the vamp with my forfinger to seal the xylum pores and prevent overabsorbtion during playing. I then test-play the reed, but only for about three minutes, max. After that, its placed on a glass surface and left to dry (no rubbing to speed the drying process) until the day after next, when I may choose to retest them. Quite often, I find that during this drying time, the reeds will change--often drastically--so I never thry adjusting them with my knife or RW until they have been retested three or four times (or more). The reeds must be allowed to dry and cure before any alterations. That way, the modifications are more appropritate to the needs of the reed and they tend to last longer.
Bottom line: Let your reeds dry on glass in the open air--do not put them back in those little plastic sleeves they come in. Before each playing, rub the vamp with your forefinger to seal the xylum pores to prevent overabsorbtion of saliva. And, I recommend saliva only for moistening--no water. But his has been covered in countless other threads, and I will not elaborate. If mold does occure--even after all the precautions--hydrogen peroxide will do the trick. A little bleach may also work.
(I haven't had a mold problem since I stopped water soaking my reeds)
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Author: vrufino
Date: 2004-08-20 15:45
Thank you for the advice. I studied with Joe Allard in NYC for ten years, and in that time I took many reed adjusting lessons...he was a master at adjusting reeds! It was he that suggested the water soak since the saliva begins "digesting the reeds". In 45 years of playing this is the first time I have had a mold problem. My reeeds are usually stored in a Harrison case (on glass). However, this time I placed the 56's (my first try of them) back in their box, a mistake I will not make again. Thank you to all who took the time to answer my problem.. I will try the peroxide and follow up with the toothpaste suggestion if needed.
Music is eternal
Dr. Vincent J. Rufino
Professor of clarinet and saxophone
St. Elizabeth University
Morristown, NJ
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Author: BobD
Date: 2004-08-21 12:43
vru....sorry, didn't realize from your post you had such prior experience. Like most subjects re clarinet playing , water vs saliva is another on which people have different opinions. I'm from the saliva school and only use water or water based solutions for cleaning reeds.
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Author: kurtmagnuson
Date: 2004-08-21 13:26
I also recommend and use The Doctors products for storing reeds in my case.
I have also found that if you are preparing a large amount of reeds a piece of soapstone works well. A 12" by 12" tile is available at just about any tile store.
It has the advantages of being very flat, durable, rigid, and most of all porous.
It doesn't allow the puddling between the reed and glass,and possible warping, that you encounter when using glass.
I hope this helps.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2004-08-22 01:09
"The Doctors products" are VERY good. I got his reed holder (dryer actually) and it is quite good.
The Saliva thing is just a Myth! Not true at all. The reed is not affected by the Saliva whatsoever - there have been scientific studies done which showed that.
I personally prefer water as it is more wet, but that's about it.
(and I studied w/Joe also, but not nearly as long)
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