using old reeds

[beginner's_luck]

I just started practicing after a 3 year hiatus (played a bit less than a year before) and all 4 reeds I had in my reed holder seemed dead today. Granted, I don't remember how long I used them before, but does it matter if they have been sitting for so long? I also noticed that when I soaked them, they didn't seem to absorb any water at all.

[brassnaked]

Soak the old reeds in hyrdogen peroxide at room temperature for 10 minutes, then put them in a shallow bowl with plain water and microwave them for 3-5 minutes. Remove and place on a true-flat surface such as glass or polished marble, allow to dry, or, try them out right away.
It WILL bring back MOST reeds...but NOT ALL of them...clean, cheap, easy...worth a try?

[beginner's_luck]

I'm assuming my reeds are sounding dead because they are old, not because some are used? I tried some random old reeds, some that I marked as reeds that played very very good, and some new-in-the-box ones and they all were stuffy and hard to blow.

[jazzbluescat]

I wouldn't use a used reed that's been laying around for a few years, of course. But, new 20-25 years old reeds are usually ok. A while back, I found an old brown, "velour" box of Selmer alto reeds and they were very good.