White Powder on Stored Violin

August 18, 2023, 5:19 PM · Just a guess, but varnish didn't like desiccation? I alwatys worry more about dry air affecting the wood than wet - but I guess that depends on where you live.

August 18, 2023, 8:35 PM · Yeah, I’m trying to wrap my mind around putting desiccants in a violin case. I’ve lived in humid climates for decades but not *that* humid.

August 19, 2023, 2:57 AM · Yeah, the desiccants were owing to an acoustic guitar being ruined after being cased for 3 unusually wet seasons over a year ago, and a Kingston violin case to that wasn’t cheap. I live in the far north of Scotland where the cold isn’t so much the problem as the quantity of rain and high winds. I digress. The room had been a spare bedroom turned into a storage room with reduced airflow for unavoidable reasons (it’s now a bedroom again), and having 3 external walls and a shallow angled gable end roof/ceiling can be cold and damp. For the life of me I can’t recognise it as mould, it feels too dry. But Hidersines these days are Chinese/HK made and Chinese instruments aren’t always made of correctly dried woods I believe and wonder if there’s been some moisture left in the woods the desiccants have removed but couldn’t evaporate as normal in an enclosed case. If it is a kind of mould though, can the case be salvaged or is it in the fabric? There’s no obvious sign in the case but it’s fabric/velour-ish lined and a golden colour so wouldn’t be obvious anyway. Bow seems unaffected. As a side note the analog hygrometers in ALL my cases seem to be useless. The digital hygrometers in my guitar cases are great. I’ll be buying more digital ones I think.

August 19, 2023, 5:56 AM · If you keep a bunch of instruments around, and the cost of electricity where you live isn't prohibitive, you should probably keep the instrument in a room with an electric dehumidifier.

Theory number two:
Maybe some kind of "white powder" was smuggled out of China in your violin case, and not completely removed at the destination? LOL

August 19, 2023, 9:00 PM · Yeah, despite energy suppliers, and especially gas and oil wholesalers, making record profits over the last year uk prices are sitting around an all time high with no end in sight so for many the choice is between eating or heating. Until now I’ve managed to avoid that but it’s catching up faster than I can outrun it. Hey-ho.

August 19, 2023, 9:52 PM · Dear David,
Theory number two:
Maybe some kind of "white powder" was smuggled out of China in your violin case, and not completely removed at the destination? LOL

As per Occum’s razor I just think the poor thing has dandruff.
Regards,
Buri

August 20, 2023, 12:34 PM · Buri, that's the first claim smugglers always try. The security folks are on to it, kinda like teachers are on to "the dog ate my homework". ;-)

August 20, 2023, 1:48 PM · Maybe the desiccant has nothing to do with it. Maybe the desiccant is completely saturated and there's still moisture present and some kind of mold grew on your instrument.

August 20, 2023, 6:00 PM · Possibly some kind of insect eating liner or case material (or worse, violin:)).....? OP said white powder, I would think mold would be more "attached" to violin or case.

August 20, 2023, 7:08 PM · Matthew I agree mold is a long shot.

Edited: August 22, 2023, 3:26 AM · The only possibility I can think of is that the violins were stored somewhere where a lot of dust was created, perhaps by building work, and one case had a far less airtight seal than the others. But I suppose there's no white powder on the fabric in the case?

August 24, 2023, 9:57 PM · Maybe it's just mold. Try to store it with silica gel or in a dry well ventilated area.