 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DougR
Date: 2010-12-22 13:27
Hi all,
I use humistats in all my cases and reed containers (mostly of the Tupperware variety). One of the humistats has developed what looks like mold--darkish spots--in the white cottony medium at one end, and if you sniff it, it smells like damp earth.
Humistats are certainly comparatively cheap, so I could throw it out, but I'm kind of anti-"throw it out," so I'm wondering if anyone has experienced this, and if there might be some sort of typical household cleaner that could get rid of the mold without imbuing the cottony medium with toxics?
(y'all can go back to discussing the REALLY earth-shaking things now.)
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Author: Philcoman
Date: 2010-12-22 15:47
I would ask the Humistat folks; they're pretty approachable. Go to the "Contact Us" page on their web site.
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Author: kimber
Date: 2010-12-22 18:50
I had a stinky Humistat all of a sudden a couple months ago - it was in a borrowed instrument, so I think it was eons old already. Tried to rinse, clean, disinfect it, but was unsuccessful and had to pitch it. Replaced it with the larger disk size so I didn't have to refill it as often. Mine smelled like dark chocolate...usually a good thing, but kinda turned my stomach to have it lofting out from the case.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2010-12-22 23:15
While I don't like to waste either, I would likely just toss it. It is not worth it to grow a science experiment in the case. I would hate to have the case get all funky.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2010-12-22 23:53
Throw it out.
You can't leave it in a sealed container as it will grow mold. In your closed clarinet case it won't mold, but in a sealed container that it's not meant to be in, you'll get mold just like you would get mold from a sponge, or anything wet.......
They are not designed to be in a sealed environment.
If you are using the Humistat properly, and get a discoloration on the cotton, it's best to throw it out, and write Humistat to get a (most likely) free replacement.
David B. who's the owner is really nice, and super customer friendly.
((I am affiliated with Humistat officially))
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2010-12-24 00:07
(Disclaimer - I sell Humistats and hygrometers)
Unless you know what the relative humidity is within you instrument's environment you are "shooting in the dark" about how much or little to add. These humidifiers e.g. Humistats - only work properly when tethered to an estimation of the RH in the case, otherwise you get into too much humidity and mold trouble. An accurate measuring device along with a humidifier is the only intellegent approach to controlling humidity in cases !!!
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-12-24 15:45
I'd toss the suspicious humidifier before it infects the lining of the case.
In my experience (using a humistat as Dr. Henderson suggests), I find that a clarinet Humistat does not bring even my single case up to a useful humidity level. A bassoon Humistat might work.
I've also tried a couple of other commercial humidifiers and found them to be ineffective.
What comes close to working for me is two 2x1x1 blocks of dish washing sponge. I put them in small cut-down plastic bags so that they don't wet the case and keep them saturated.
My house runs about 30% RH in the winter, and the double sponge set up in a Yamaha double case comes up to about 45-50% RH. According to my crack repairateur, that's still lower than his ideal 60%.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2010-12-24 16:14
When a kitchen sponge develops mold or an off odor, I squeeze it out thoroughly, put it in the sink and saturate it with white vinegar. When I rinse it out in the morning, it's fresh as a daisy.
You could also put a tablespoon of bleach in a big serving bowl, fill it with water and put the Humistat in it overnight, but you'd have to rinse it out very thoroughly.
Rather than an expensive solution, I dampen a paper towel, squeeze it out and lay it over the instrument in the case. I've never had a mold problem, probably because the towel holds so little water. Orange peels are also free.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-12-25 04:33
David,
I went to my case and had a hard look. From what I could see, the springs are still blue. Phew. RH ws 44%
I've only been able to get to 60% by sponging water (in a trial) onto the case lining and then closing it up. That lasted only about one day and convinced me that 60% is impractical (except maybe in a rain forest).
The 60% number is the advice from the oboe maker who repaired the cracks running through the upper trill tone holes. I think that those occurred when I blew the horn from cold storage in the car on my way to that week's lesson.
Of late, the dew point has been so high that on some days, I've had to swab every 20 measures or so. (Not possible to do more than just segment practice --thankfully (!!!) no performances.) The bore is wet for the whole practice session.
It's all a tough dance, and I don't know the choreography. 2-hours at 100% in the bore, 22 hours at 60% for everything --in and out, with the outside wetting and the inside drying.... It seems likely that the wood is always moving from moisture and temperature differences across the thickness of the instrument.
A quick estimate of the stresses caused by either a cold side vs warm side or a wet side vs dry side is scary because either can reach the cross grain strength of tropical hardwoods. That's really calculated paranoia.
I hate cracks.
Bob Phillips
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Author: DougR
Date: 2010-12-27 03:55
thanks for the responses, everyone. I HAD had my moldy humistat in a sealed Tupperware container, and the rh ran to probably 70% (which is actually higher than I wanted). Sent a query about the mildew to Humistat via their contact info, but haven't heard back--maybe closed for the holidays...but probably the "sealed container" part is a bad idea. Will try getting a new Humistat & leaving the container a little more loosely covered.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2010-12-27 13:22
DougR -
You're right about sealed containers. They're instant mold. Back when Tom Ridenour was making reeds, he put them in non-permeable plastic sleeves. If you played a reed and put it in the sleeve without being bone dry, it molded up overnight.
Kal Opperman taught me that before putting a reed away, I should hold it on the bark between my left thumb and index finger and stroke the vamp with my right thumb and index finger until it was absolutely dry. Since I started doing that, I've had no problems.
Ken Shaw
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