The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-09-14 00:46
Hi,
I was just doing a little reoganizing of my unorganized home and found a couple reed holders (glass plate bottom, velvet holding reeds down type) that have an amaizing amount of mold. The funny thing is that I had only used a few of the 10 reeds in the case, but they all had mold. I remember that I had washed theis reed case before I put it away 2 months ago. I let the case dry in the sun for a couple days after throughly washing it (but I live in a very humid area and it has been rather rainy for the past month).
So... can I clean and use these reeds and the case? Is there a point that the mold in question can be a danger to one's health?
If I can clean it, what do I use to kill the mold?? Vinigar, mouthwash, peroxide, rubbing alcohal??
Thanks
Post Edited (2007-09-14 17:42)
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2007-09-14 01:19
(Disclaimer - I sell humidity control and case mold killer and odor eliminator)
The reeds may or may not be usable after cleaning. One cleaning with 3% drug store hydrogen peroxide should get rid of the mold on the reeds. The mold probably will not hurt you and is the same type usually associated with growth on stale bread but I would not play moldy reeds personally. I would also not routinely treat reeds with only hydrogen peroxide without additatives to maintain natural flexibility because they go down hill quickly with multiple treatments of straight peroxide.
Mold spores are everywhere and only take a relative humidity of > 50% to germinate into the vegetative mold growth. The case should be treated with a mold spore killer and/or stored at humidity less than 50% to inhibit recurring mold growth. Here in the SE U.S. we battle mold for about 8 months out of the year so this is first hand experience.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2007-09-14 19:57
If those were my reeds, I'd toss them. Probably true that they've only got bread mold--but I don't eat moldy bread, either. Ick.
Living in humid Virginia, I know what you mean about the quick growth of mold. Since the reed case has a glass plate, see if you can take the case apart as much as possible and expose all the pieces to sunlight (rotating positions so that sun hits everywhere) for an hour or so. The sun will make sure the parts dry thoroughly after the cleaning and sunlight is the best mold-killer of all. If the reeds got moldy, odds are pretty good there are live mold spores in the clarinet case, too, so you might put the (washed) swab and the clarinet case outside and open to the sun, as well (empty, because the sun can damage the mouthpiece and the clarinet).
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Clarence
Date: 2007-09-14 20:01
I dip them in rubbing alcohol and scrape them with a razor blade.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-09-14 21:13
Scrub them top and bottom with toothpaste and an old toothbrush. The light abrasive in the toothpaste removes the mold and the flavoring covers up any remaining bad taste.
I've done it many times.
Ken Shaw
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-09-15 08:01
after closer inspection, the velvet and reeds are infested with little white bugs.
the reed case is really old anyway, the whole thing is trash.
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