Treating reeds with citrus oil?

[quackattack]

I have a bottle of 'odor eliminator' spray made from 'sun-ripened orange oils, a touch of vanilla fragrance, and antioxidant.'

If I wipe my reeds down with this will it help prevent mold? It's oily so it sort of 'treats' the reed but maybe has some anti-mold effect?

Is this a bad idea?

[bandmommy]

Bad idea.

There may be other ingredients in the product that shouldn't be put in your mouth.
Read the bottle/warnings. Does it say DO NOT INGEST?

You may want to try something safe like Listerine or a 50/50 solution of Hydrogen Peroxide and water. Simply rinsing off the reed with plain water and allowing it to dry a bit before putting it away is usually good enough.

[quackattack]

im not worried about the safety since its safe to breath and I would use very little, but there is no reason to gop up my reeds with oily stuff, I'll just use hydrogen peroxide or something.

[Dog Pants]

Why bother?

Are your reeds going moldy? Or is this a case of "it might happen?"

Applying oils to your reed will just make it heavy and lifeless. At best, you'll wind up with a crap reed that lasts forever. Kind of like Russian literature now that I think of it. :D

Reeds are a wear item. They aren't supposed to last for months on end of regular playing. Just keep them clean by wiping them. If they get really grotty, keep a small jar of that weak Hydrogen Peroxide solution handy and let them soak on that for 10-15 minutes and then rinse and store. You can also use that Denture cleaning stuff too. But unless they are really gunked up, just wipe 'em dry and store 'em safely.

The best thing you can do to stop reeds going mouldy, is expose them to air and sunlight. ie: play them.

[bandmommy]

Lots of products are safe to breath but not safe to ingest. Even in minute amounts.

That bottle of Lemon Pine Sol you have under your sink may smell good, but do you take a sip every once in a while?

[quackattack]

That bottle of Lemon Pine Sol you have under your sink may smell good, but do you take a sip every once in a while?

Only occasionally after a really heavy meal. :D

[Dog Pants]

Lots of products are safe to breath but not safe to ingest. Even in minute amounts.

That bottle of Lemon Pine Sol you have under your sink may smell good, but do you take a sip every once in a while?

BM, OK you caught me, but I want that video camera removed and all the tapes destroyed. :D

[quackattack]

See both Dog Pants and I drink Pine Sol, and we turned out okay. I guess the key is moderation. lol

[bandmommy]

Video camera? What video camera? :twisted:

I'll destroy the tapes upon delivery of 1 pair of red leather boots. US size 8. ;)

[Jazz Is All]

Someone on another thread suggested using plain of Vinegar. It's only about 4% acetic acid so it will kill that black mold and keep it from growing more. It can't harm you either.

[DavyRay]

I have a bottle of 'odor eliminator' spray made from 'sun-ripened orange oils, a touch of vanilla fragrance, and antioxidant.'

If I wipe my reeds down with this will it help prevent mold? It's oily so it sort of 'treats' the reed but maybe has some anti-mold effect?

Is this a bad idea?

:D:D:D:D

Try it, and get back to us. Not the mold prevention part, the part where you find out how the reed tastes.:shock:

[themacintrasher]

See both Dog Pants and I drink Pine Sol, and we turned out okay. I guess the key is moderation. lol

Hmm that's debatable.....:D

[Wonder woman]

Is that the same "odor eliminator" spray that is meant to help refresh the inside of stanky cases?

The smell of that stuff in the cases makes me sick, I can't imagine ever wanting to put that on my reeds.

I endorse the mouthwash approach. It santizes your reeds, is safe to put in your mouth, tastes good, and even kind of freshens your breath as you play!

[quackattack]

I now rinse them off with mouthwash and then dry them before storage. Vinegar sounds like a good idea too, though.

[daigle65]

This winter, because of the dry climate, I kept the sponge in my Reedgard moistened with Listerine and I didn't have any problem at all with mold.
When I used water the previous years everything got moldy really fast.

[quackattack]

This winter, because of the dry climate, I kept the sponge in my Reedgard moistened with Listerine and I didn't have any problem at all with mold.
When I used water the previous years everything got moldy really fast.

I never thought of wetting the top velvety part of the case. After reading your post, I put listerine on it. Now the reeds retain a little moisture and I don't have to soak or wipe them with anything.

[bluesaxgirl]

I keep my reeds natural.
I've only seen moldy reeds on my friends clarinet when she left it on her mouthpiece and didn't play for a couple of months. :shock:

[themacintrasher]

I keep my reeds natural.
I've only seen moldy reeds on my friends clarinet when she left it on her mouthpiece and didn't play for a couple of months. :shock:
I've never seen a reed get really moldy, like turning green moldy, but I've popped some reeds in my mouth to find a weird taste:?

[Jazz Is All]

I keep my reeds in those 4-reed black plastic La Voz or Rico reedguards and they all seem to develop this black mold on them that begins at the heart and grows bigger over time. I tried soaking them in Hydrogen Peroxide at first and now have tried Vinegar. It may kill the mold but the black stays there so I can't really tell. Now it has dawned on me that the problem must be with the way I put them away. After I rinse them off and dry them with a towel I put them in the reedguard right away to keep them flat. I suppose the moisture in the reed is enough to grow the mold, but maybe the mold is actually living inside the reedquard by now. So I'm going to soak all my reedguards in HP or alcohol or listerine or a combination to see if that will reduce the problem. Anybody have a take on this?

[Dog Pants]

It's a lack of air and light that causes it. take the reed case out of your sax case when you get home and let the air and light get to it.

[Peterogping]

I agree with dog pants. Let the reeds dry before you put them in the reed guard and no mold will grow.
But what about the need for the reeds to dry against a flat surface?
I stopped doing that several years ago after reading an interview with the producer of Alexander reeds. He claimed that reeds did not need to be forced into a flat shape. And he is right. :D

[Fader]

Oil is not good for your reeds and won't stop mold......I get the black half circle on older reeds, but when I quit using my sax as a giant pipe that mysteriously stopped happening...... :)

[Tim Price]

I have a bottle of 'odor eliminator' spray made from 'sun-ripened orange oils, a touch of vanilla fragrance, and antioxidant.'

If I wipe my reeds down with this will it help prevent mold? It's oily so it sort of 'treats' the reed but maybe has some anti-mold effect?

Is this a bad idea?


Those reeds in my brain
That sly come hither stare
That strips my conscience bare
Its witchcraft

And Ive got no defense for it...the cane is dense for it
The heat is too intense for it...and the funk too
What good would common sense for it do? but don't say go practice you 2

cause its witchcraft, wicked witchcraft
And although, I know, its strictly taboo

[phannah]

I'll wash them off w/ water, wipe them down and then let them sit out for 5-10 min, then put them in the reed guard. If you put them in wet it tends to develop mold.