Why Is My Reed Turning Black?
It can be a bit of a bizarre experience the first time that one of your reeds (or several) begins to turn black. So, what’s going on?
Reeds turn black due to mold. Reeds tend to grow moldy when they are not allowed to dry out properly. This can be prevented by allowing reeds to dry out in open air before putting them away, and can be cured by allowing the reed to sit in a container of hydrogen peroxide.
This article will get into the specifics of why reeds turn moldy in the first place, how you can prevent your reeds from ever becoming moldy again, and what measures you can take to eliminate mold on a reed that already has it.
What causes moldy reeds?
Reeds typically become moldy due to being stored (while still wet) in a container which does not allow them to dry out. This occurs most commonly when wet reeds are left on a capped mouthpiece or a humidity-controlled reed case. Even an instrument case can allow mold to grow if wet reeds are left in it.
Essentially, the problem is that the reeds are wet and aren’t allowed to air out. If you typically leave your reed on your mouthpiece, stop doing that. The cap keeps the moisture inside, and the reed will never be able to dry out. Incidentally, this will also probably cause your mouthpiece to get moldy as the reed and cap keep the moisture inside of it.
While I am personally fond of humidity-controlled reed cases, they can allow mold to grow if wet reeds are left inside of them. If you don’t have time to let the reed sit out after playing, at least try to squeeze some of the excess moisture out of it. Even if you can’t get all of the moisture out, it will still help.
How to get rid of mold on reeds
The most effective way to get rid of mold on reeds is to leave the reed submerged in a container of either hydrogen peroxide or alcohol for about five minutes. This will eliminate the mold, and the reed will remain usable afterward.
This is probably what you came here for, and thankfully the process is fairly self-explanatory. All you need is some hydrogen peroxide, which you can find here if you don’t currently have any.
While it isn’t a good idea to drink hydrogen peroxide, it is generally safe to put in your mouth. So, you can use the reed immediately after soaking it if you would like.
The only possible concern with this trick is that fully submerging the reed in fluid might cause it to warp – but you can easily prevent this by allowing the reed to dry out on a piece of glass before putting it away.
Preventing mold
The best way to prevent reeds from getting moldy is to rinse them with clean water and allow them to dry out in open air after playing on them. If you can do neither of these things, squeezing some of the moisture out will help to some extent.
In order to prevent mold, you need to make sure that:
- Your reeds are actually drying out, and
- They are doing so in open air.
This means that you probably shouldn’t just toss your reeds into your saxophone or clarinet case immediately after using them; the inside of an instrument case is a stuffy environment which doesn’t allow the reeds to air out properly.
The best way to dry reeds is by leaving them on a flat surface (preferably glass or a surface with small ridges; both of these prevent warping) until they dry out. It may also be a good idea to rinse them with water before doing this, as saliva is more prone to cause mold than water is. If you do this, however, then make sure you are drying them on a glass or ridged surface, as reeds are prone to warp if they become waterlogged.
In some instances I think it is fine to put a reed straight into a humidity-controlled case, but at least make sure that your reed isn’t drenched if you are doing this. It should at least be somewhat dry.
It is also helpful to brush your teeth before you play. Saliva may have a tendency to cause mold, but the problem is magnified if there is food in your saliva as well.
Will humidity-controlled reed cases allow mold to grow?
Humidity-controlled reed cases will allow mold to grow only if the reed is put into them while still wet. Simply controlling the humidity of the reed by itself will not cause reeds to become moldy.
So, I still recommend using a reed case which controls for the humidity of your reeds. This simply ensures that your reeds will always be playing optimally, even as the environment you are playing in changes.
If you find that a specific reed case consistently causes your reeds to get moldy, I recommend trying a different one. I’ve used this reed case for many years and I’ve never had problems with it.
Conclusion
Fortunately, mold is fairly easy to deal with. If you take the right precautions, you’ll never have to deal with it ever again.
I wish you best of luck in keeping your reeds clean!
