Mold In Paperclay

[Isculpt]

I've just ordered bags of paperclay from Laguna and found that the clay was quite moldy when I opened them. Previously purchased paperclay molded after the bag had been opened for a week or so, but the folks at Laguna said that the clay can start molding as soon as it is made. Apparently this clay did! Is there anything I can do to safely kill the mold? Can I add vinegar to the clay for that purpose without negatively affecting the clay? I'm allergic to molds, and the thought of putting my hands in that green stuff is pretty unappealing.

[Chris Campbell]

Some people add bleach, some add the stuff you use in aquariums to kill algae.

Bleach is hard on your skin though.

 

I do not know if vinegar would be strong enough to kill the mold but I do know it affects

the clay since people use vinegar to make attachments easier.

 

My mold is black ... its smelly and ugly but does burn out.

Have you had a reaction to ithis green stuff or are you being pro-active?

 

For the next time you order or make paper clay ...

What some people do is roll their fresh paper clay into sheets and let it dry out ... they

then add water when they are ready to use it. Dry paper clay does not mold.

[bptakoma]

I've just ordered bags of paperclay from Laguna and found that the clay was quite moldy when I opened them. Previously purchased paperclay molded after the bag had been opened for a week or so, but the folks at Laguna said that the clay can start molding as soon as it is made. Apparently this clay did! Is there anything I can do to safely kill the mold? Can I add vinegar to the clay for that purpose without negatively affecting the clay? I'm allergic to molds, and the thought of putting my hands in that green stuff is pretty unappealing.

 

 

You can use hydrogen peroxide to clean up the mold if you don't want to use bleach. Vinegar won't hurt the clay either.

 

I totally understand your hesitation to stick your hand in the moldy bag! You don't have to suffer through that. Instead, open up a few sheets of newspaper. Upend the bag of clay on the newspaper and peel off the bag. Then use a cutting wire to slice off the exterior of the clay block. The inside of the block won't be nearly as bad. Put the inner block in a new bag -- or an old one without mold residue. I usually pitch the ooky bag because clay bags are easy enough to recycle and I usually have several around.

 

I will sometimes just put on gloves and wedge the mold into the icky bits and use it right away or make a slab from it. Or I'll let them dry out and save them to add to the next batch of homemade paper clay. I do usually add just a little hydrogen peroxide when I mix up paperclay to help it keep just a bit longer.

 

Good luck,

Beth

[Chris Campbell]

I like the idea of slicing off the outside layer ... Kind of like cheese!

 

I was wondering if drying those moldy pieces in the full sun would kill the mold?

Or would it just keep it dormant until the next addition of water?

[AndyL]

The spores would stay dormant if you dried the paper clay out in the sun.