 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2024-01-07 20:06
I broke in several new reeds a month or so ago then placed them into an airtight container with a 72% Boveda 2-way humidity control packet in it. I've been storing them this way for several years without a problem. Once this year's Christmas concert was over, I didn't play my clarinet for almost 3 weeks. When I went to play it yesterday, I noticed small spots of black mold on several of the reeds. I am at a loss as to why this happened. WHAT I AM WONDERING ABOUT: Is it safe to soak the affected reeds in a diluted bleach solution (or perhaps hydrogen peroxide solution?) to kill the mold...or should I just throw away these brand new reeds???
Thanks!
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2024-01-07 22:04
If you don't want to toss these reeds I'd recommend Distilled Vinegar or the referenced Hydrogen Peroxide. The former is not toxic. The later decomposes to Oxygen and Water, also not toxic. Bleach on the other hand.....
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2024-01-07 23:30
It is a puzzle. Dumb question maybe, but why are you storing new reeds in this situation rather than just leaving them in the box/package?
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2024-01-08 02:28
So after you use them you put them back in the container when wet?
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Julian ibiza
Date: 2024-01-08 14:30
Hi Roxann,
As this is a new problem, it may mean that you have this mold growing somewhere in your house, so you might be wise to check that out. The distilled vinagre is supposed to be the best for killing it ( hydrogen peroxide is a form of bleach so probably better avoided). Obviously you need to throw out the infected Boveda pack and thoroughly disinfect the reed box.
I live in mold paradise. It grows on the coatings of camera lenses and the magnetic tape of the old videos and cassettes( all thrown out now ) and of course its favorite food is leather belts hung up in closets. I check all the instruments stored in cases several time a year to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Where I live mold is prevented by moving to inland Andalusia .
Julian Griffiths
Tel. 34 696 798 853
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2024-01-08 21:31
Before changing to legeres, i used those 72% humidipaks with my reeds. And i had the same problem if i didn't use the reeds for extended period. So, i think that 72% is a quite mold-friendly environment and we know that mold spores exist everywhere. If you use the reeds in circulation regularly (almost every day) you actually lick all the beginning of the mold growth away from the reeds! Don't worry, you are probably safe, we eat gorgonzola and roquefort, at least i am still alive etc. But i suggest, that you let the reeds dry if you have a holiday from clarinet. They don't work anyway after the holiday... Or you try a drier humidipak for storage of reeds not in daily use, like some 50%.
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: psmartin
Date: 2024-01-09 09:29
Bleach and Chlorine are the same thing, so if you are drinking water from a city, swim in most pools, and a good number of bottled water companies disinfect the water with chlorine and then try to remove most of it with reverse osmosis. The only difference in bleach and chlorine is the concentration. I would most likely clean the reeds with vinegar or the hydrogen peroxide, because I know that in cleaning bone that bleach can impact and degrade the bone itself. Which, I would imagine the bleach concentration if too strong could cause the reeds to start breaking down just as it does to bone.
Paul
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