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So I have been careful to let my stones dry before storing them, yet the mold comes back, and a good scrubbing with dish soap isn't enough. I thought of letting them soak in diluted bleach (1:9 ratio like cleaning an humidifier). Is that a good course of action?
What kind of stones? I'm certainly not the one to give advice but if it were me the thought of the bleach coming in contact with my razors would scare me about that. I might be more inclined to stick them in the bamboo steamer first. Also sunlight is a very good disinfectant although it might be in short supply this time of year up there in Calgary. Here in Florida you can kill anything including yourself with sunlight.
If the stone can take continuous immersion a little bleach will not hurt.
For stones that are strictly spray and go then add a small amount to your spray water.
I have kept stones in water with a bit of bleach for months on end. I am fairly sure Glen keeps bleach in his continuously soaked stones.
Never had mold come up. Perhaps where you keep them has some nearby?
I keep a capful of bleach in my Norton water or algae forms on it after a while.
A quick soak in a bit of bleach will kill the mold, you don’t need much.
Probably how you dry them is more important to keeping the mold away. Make sure air is able to circulate around the stone.
I sit on edge in a wooden plate rack to dry.
How quick of a soak in bleach? I mean, dont you need the bleach to penitrate and wouldnt a soak in clean water be important afterwards? This is good info to know.
So... 15 minutes undiluted bleach followed by another 15 in water?
I have a variety on stones... European hard binders, a CNAT, barber hones and a suehiro 1000/3000. They can all soak for a while, I think.
No don't use undiluted bleach. I have never used bleach water on my stones but a cap full or so in a gallon of water should do it.
As it has been said, you don't need straight bleach. For maintenance I use 2 tsp of UNSCENTED Chlorine Bleach per 1 gallon of water. I change water about twice a year and the stones (Norton/King) are never slimy.
However this is from the USDA in regards to hard items in restaurants/grocery stores etc that were contaminated by flood waters. Note that after cleaning that Clean Fresh Water is used to rinse the Heavy Duty Bleach Solution off and then the items are to be allowed to air dry:
Attachment 300507
Bleach will kill mold spores on contact, a 10% solution is recommended. So, a soak of 10% in a tub of water for 10-15 minutes should be enough.
The problem is bleach is corrosive and modern synthetic stones binders are propriety. Some are sensitive to some chemicals. I once put a drop of Dawn dish soap on a Norton 8k and it ate a 3/8th inch divot in the stone about a 1/8-inch-deep before I could rinse the soap out.
So, soak and rinse or better yet soak in clear water to remove as much bleach and mold spore as possible. I know guys put a small amount of bleach in water and soak 24/7, but results can vary from stone to stone.
I would put a drop of bleach on the corner of a stone and monitor it for a reaction. If none, you should be ok. I do put a drop or two, of Dawn dish soap in my soak water, I keep a plastic shoe box in the sink and soak my stones for 10-15 minutes before use, with no ill effects. The soap breaks the surface tension of the water and seems to keep the stones cleaner and makes removing swarf easier.
Mold will not grow in a dry environment, so drying your stones is key.
You could try putting it in the microwave for a minute or two and then wipe the dead spores off with vinegar.
As the post below says, it may be risky.
If there's any water trapped in the stone, it will explode in the microwave, like potatoes.
How do you know this?:rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by outback
I hadn't considered that. May not be a good idea then.
Guessing that you can see this mold growing on you stones? What about a serious lapping, then a soak in bleach water, soak in clean water changed once, dry for a day or so, then lap again to flatten to be sure the bleach didnt damage the finish.
I find these binder/chemical compatibility discussions interesting.
A couple of years ago Ozarkedger gave a great demo on barber shear honing at Howard Clark's meet in De Moine. Everyone was surprised when we found out that he cleaned his Naniwa Superstones with Dawn daily. Randy looked down right shocked. I've still never put anything on my Naniwas but water and steel.
I never soak my fine stones only my coarse <4k and that's for 15 minutes max. Never any issue. I never soak naturals at all...YMMV
I don't get how a cnat could get mold on it. Unless it's stored in a terrarium.
Is the mold actually detrimental to the honing process?
Anyone know.what the grit rating is for mold? Lol. The mold is caused by too much moisture. And that may affect some stones binders. Never had that issue ever. But I use spray and hone synths and I don't ever get my natural stones wetter than they need to be.
I have a really small dehumidifier in my gun safe that cost maybe $20.00 .. Maybe use one of them in a Hefty storage container from Walmart for under $10.00?..
Don't dry the air too much. That's not good for some stones either.
A quick update. Most of my stones look good after the bleach bath. One of the barber hones and one of my coarser hones looks like they'll need some lapping.
This is a side that showed some mold which is now gone Attachment 301276.
