 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Meri
Date: 2004-11-19 16:39
How many of you have had constant problems with mold on reeds? Especially when you have to place them in the reed case while they are still wet? Have any of you tried putting a bit of salt in your reed case to prevent the problem? I’m not sure where I read about this idea, it might have been in an old ACCENT or Instrumentalist Magazine… But here’s my version of the idea, which worked for me:
After disinfecting/rinsing your reed case to get rid of the mold spores, then drying the reed case, place a few salt particles in each section of the reed case. If you have too much salt, just shake the reed case to get rid of the excess salt. Place your reeds in the reed case. You can also sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on the reeds.My results have been that there have been no mold on any of my reeds for the last 2 months, even on reed brands that I find are prone to mold development, which are Grand Concerts and Oliveris.
Meri
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Author: Claire
Date: 2004-11-19 18:32
I prefer Ketchup on my reeds. Really brings out that distinct flavour.
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Author: Nick Angiolillo
Date: 2004-11-19 19:01
I would be wary of putting salt in my favorite reeds. If you only use your reeds for a few weeks before tossing them, I'd say it's okay, but some people use them for years and salt isn't exactly the friendliest compound to put on things you don't want to erode. The chloride in the salt could hydrolyze and reform small amounts of hydrochloric acid which, after a while, could have a negative effect on the cane.
I have to say that I've honestly never had a problem with mold. If I ever found some on my favorite reed I'd probably scrape it off and dunk the thing in some hydrogen peroxide for a bit.
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Author: pzaur
Date: 2004-11-19 22:24
I know some people that made their own reed cases in college using tupperware, a sponge, glass, clips, and a bag of salt. All very complex to keep that "perfect reed." Personally, I found the best way to keep my reeds from molding was to switch from using a Vandoren blue reed case to a Selmer reed case.
-pat
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-20 13:15
(Disclaimer - I sell ReedLife, reed drying pads, desiccant, and humidifiers)
Meri - you are headed in the right direction but with a difficult means of transport. Salt will indeed soak up water because it is hygroscopic (seeks water) but it will play havoc with most reed case materials and your reeds too. Unfortunately the saturation relative humidity of a saturated salt solution of plain salt (NaCl) is 73% at 20 C. This relative humidity is still too high and will support mold growth but probably less than a damp humidity of 80-90% found in some closed reed cases. You should use a desiccant to bring down the RH to 50% or less at which RH mold will not grow and clean your reeds often.
The Vandoren reed case has silica gel in the little tube in the middle of the case to lower the RH but unfortunately they are rarely changed by people (and hard to find at most music stores or even mailorder houses) and the mass of desiccant is small considering the opening and closing of the case and wet reed storage that people usually expect them to accomplish. Rico now makes a reed storage plastic bag with a choice of salts (other than common NaCl) to give you a selected relative humidity. Their lowest RH choice is however still at 56% RH which is a little too high IMHO and the little salt bags are expensive.
My solution is to dry the used reeds thoroughly (although they are still possibly at 55-65% RH) and then put them in a sealed container with a desiccant to bring the RH down below 50% RH. I also clean and sanitize the reeds on a regular basis to remove most of the mold and mildew spores which are everywhere in our environment.
The Doctor
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Author: Burt
Date: 2004-11-20 14:47
I've had limited success in saving moldy reeds by soaking them for several minutes in 3% hydrogen peroxide (the strength used for first aid), then rinsing well, and leaving them on absorbent paper uncovered overnight.
But prevention is the best approach.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-20 15:04
(Disclaimer - I sell ReedLife)
Drug store hydrogen peroxide with an exposure time of 5 minutes or more at 20C will indeed kill vegetative mold growth and kill mold spores but it also
will oxidize compounds within the reed that make it work well and many treatments will ruin an otherwise good reed. An old tooth brush and drug store hydrogen peroxide scrub (from the heel to the tip) for only a minute or two is a better solution than soaking the reed repeatedly in hydrogen peroxide - careful of your clothes that may be ruined by the spray! Sanitized reeds should then be stored at a low relative humidity to prevent further mold and mildew growth.
The Doctor
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Author: Clarinet2007
Date: 2004-11-21 05:11
I always have mold on my reeds but it never really bothered me. Is a moldy reed bad for my clarinet, or can it harm it?
Sheridan High School Ramland Marching Band
Go Band!
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Author: Contra
Date: 2004-11-21 05:38
I've never had mold on my reeds. It just never happened.
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Author: Stepan
Date: 2004-11-21 08:42
OH MY GOD!
O overlooked this thread because I did not know, what is a mold, but now I finally looked in a dictionarary and I am HORRIFIED!!!
Mould develops where is humidity above some level constantly! You do not let your reeds to dry?
I think mold can only develop when you treat your reeds badly!
The mold is not only disgusting, some molds even produce some substances which cause CANCER, so it is really not good idea to let such reed in your mouth and let your saliva tranport all that bad-things in you! Even a reed which does not contain some active and live mold at the moment can be filled with that substances from past.
Please do NOT use moldy reeds!
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2004-11-21 13:38
(Disclaimer - I sell ReedLife and desiccant)
Mold growing on reeds has three energy sources - the skin particles sloughed from the lips (millions of skin cells are discarded every day), organic food particles, and the cellulose and carbohydrate matrix of the reed itself. Breakdown of the cellulose matrix of the reed will eventually ruin an otherwise good reed. As far as health effects - mycotoxins made by some mold can be harmful to human health and have been implicated in some cancers but for the most part they are not especially harmful because much of the leftover food that we eat has the beginnings of mold growth already started but not yet visable as the vegetative form of the mold. There are many forms of mold and many are not harmful to humans. We as humans do not possess the enzymes to break down cellulose (they can however IMO affect the carbohydrate which aids in the cellulose matrix) but molds do and therefore can ruin reeds.
We sanitize (physical removal of organisms) or disinfect (removal or inactivation of infectious organisms) both by removing the organisms and by removing obvious food sources which support their growth. When this happens the organisms have a much slower growth curve to become the obvious vegetative forms that we see and call mold. The three main elements in the growth of mold are: a food source, temperature, and water. Removing or minimizing any of the three will dramatically retard mold growth. The easiest is of course to keep the moisture content below 50% which is the threshold needed to sustain mold growth.
The Doctor
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2004-11-21 14:10
Stepan wrote:
> I think mold can only develop when you treat your reeds badly!
No. If you live in a humid area it's a constant sorce of problems, even in everyday living.
> The mold is not only disgusting, some molds even produce some
> substances which cause CANCER,
Some molds produce life-saving substances, too.
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Author: Stepan
Date: 2004-11-21 14:36
Some molds produce life-saving substances, too.
That is true, but how do you know that that mold in your reed is the good one?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-11-22 22:13
This is Kal Opperman's method, which has worked flawlessly for me for many years.
When you finish playing, hold the reed by the butt, left thumb on top, left index finger across the bottom. Pinch lightly at the top of the vamp with your right thumb and forefinger and slide them down the entire vamp and off the end. Repeat until the reed feels dry (10 to 15 times). Store the reed away in a ventilated holder, such as the ones Vandoren reeds come in.
To get mold off, buy the stiffest toothbrush you can fine and scrub the reed with toothpaste. Near the tip, use one-direction strokes, toward and off the tip, with the reed tip on the tip of your finger, or on a flat surface.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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