 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: microborg
Date: 2010-02-09 20:25
I have a question:
One time I had a hard/used up/dry reed vitalizer, and I left it in my clarinet case with some orange peels. When I came back later (a few days, i guess), the pack was no longer dry; it had picked up some of the moisture. I know the writing on the packs says to throw them away after they get dry, but would re-humidifying be a viable (albeit cheap) way to make them last longer? Or is there an issue here I'm not seeing?
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Author: NBeaty
Date: 2010-02-09 20:41
An obvious conclusion one can come to is that rico wouldn't sell many of them if people found out that they could be recharged. Naturally, it's in their best interest for them to run out.
I'm not sure that they are really rechargeable though. I'm sure whatever is inside the packs that makes them a specific humidity level is not replaceable by just exposing it to more moisture.
Ed Palanker and others use them inside the rico cases, and put the cases inside a freezer bag. They claim it lasts a year or more this way. 5 dollars a year to keep your reeds humidified at a good percentage is worth it.
Personally I don't fuss with the bags for my every day reeds (I use two of the airtight rico cases). I have a ziploc bags and revitalizer packs with reeds that aren't in current rotation (saving for another season, reeds used with a different mouthpiece, and others).
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-02-09 23:46
Yes, the Vitalizer can be "re vitalized" if they can absorb moisture though I'm surprised it did it via an orange peel. Some people just brush so water on them when they begin to dry but it's usually just a temporary fix. As NBeaty mentioned, if you keep the pack in an air tight bag and keep it closed most of the time the vitalizer will not dry out for a long time. Just don't allow it to be exposed to the air for more than the time it takes to take a reed out of the bag. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: weberfan
Date: 2010-02-09 23:49
NBeatyand Ed have faithfully recorded the Vitalizer's advantages, especially with the freezer bag thrown in---taking care not to leave them exposed to the air for too long.
As for your experience with the orange peels, it sounds like a miracle.
When the pacs are dried up, they're usually dried up. Ed's right that on occasion they will revive a bit, but I've found that to be rare.
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Author: L. Omar Henderson
Date: 2010-02-10 00:03
The packs contain saturated (with water) salts. When they give up moisture they can become dry and for a few cycles they can be rehydrated, but after a while they will no longer perform their hydrating - or dehydrating chores and although you can get them wet again they will not maintain the stated humidity. Different salts have different hydration potentials - that is why there are different salts in different packs.
L. Omar Henderson
www.doctorsprod.com
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