Boveda whoops

VegasFrank

Had some dry ones, so I stuck them in a baggie of distilled water.....and forgot about them for 2 weeks.  Pulled them out today and:

So are they toast?  

Please. You don't have to call me a cheap arse because I already know it....yes, I could buy new ones, but what's the fun in that?

VegasFrank

Oh and yes, it's definitely time for my wife to wash the dishes!

VegasFrank

Lol they're a little bloated

Amos_Umwhat

Well, I've never seen that before.  I do try to extend my Bovedas, especially if I can't find what I want, but I usually wet a paper towel with distilled water, then put that in with the packets in a baggie.  I'd toss those.

Oh, and my bet is that your wife thinks it's your turn to do the dishes, that's why that looks that way.  

silvermouse

Put them (the bovedas, not the dishes) in another baggie with some others that need hydrating and forget about them for another spell.

Yakster

Leave them out for a few days and check for leaks, they should be fine.  I've done this several times.

VegasFrank

Thanks for the advice on the bovedas...and the dishes!

dirtdude

In the desert they will be fine Frank. We rarely ask a Boveda to absorb moisture.

VegasFrank

Lol I figured, but wanted to be sure they'd still bleed moisture...

TNBigfoot68

I put my dried out Bovedas in a tupoware type container with a small bowl of distilled water on one side and they recharge without getting wet.  

deadman

Wrap mine in wet paper towels, when the paper towel is dry they are ready to go

Bob_Luken

TNBigfoot68 said:

I put my dried out Bovedas in a tupoware type container with a small bowl of distilled water on one side and they recharge without getting wet.  

@TNBigfoot68 has described the "better safe than sorry" method. You are asking the Boveda to do the exact thing the Boveda was designed to do. And the Boveda say's "Aye Captain". Dunk 'em under water and you'll hear no complaints. They'll just do it faster. 

IndustMech

Add a new sponge to the bowl of water, with a small part of the sponge in the water, will speed up the process. 

dirtdude

In a desert climate we only ask them to give moisture when needed, actually a one way system instead of two way. I throw them in a bowl of distilled for a couple days, let the surface dry and put them back to work.

Edit: I do let them dry out thoroughly before dunking them again, had what looked to be mold in some a while back, hold them up to the light, any question toss them.

Wylaff

You did exactly what I do. Afterwards dry em off, make sure they don’t leak, and toss em in. I need bloated bovedas here. (You do to) they will still release humidity at the same rate. They’ll just last a bit longer.

Bob_Luken

After I give mine a bath, I gently towel dry them and place 'em on a cooling rack with a small fan blowing on them because I don't want them to stay wet very long. I'm thinking that they are less likely to mold if I do this. So far I've never had mold grow on any of mine. 

Yakster

I do the same without the fan

First_Warrior

When my Bovedas get too plump and won't lower the humidy in my humidors here in NC mountain summer high humidity environment I simply put them on a tray and slide them into my studio refrigerator . Two or three days and they are shrunk down and ready to pull in excess moisture from my humidors. 

BKDog

They could work, but I can give you pretty much the same answer you would probably get from Boveda and tell you you're risking it because they've been soaking for so long that some of the salts inside may have leeched out. But, it's your cigars at stake, not mine. At this time of year where I live I can have all my Boveda packs die and I will be just fine until the super hot weather hits. As it seems now, we may be in for flooding. Oh, the joy.
Another idea is to use gel beads (the 70% RH variety) to plump up those Boveda inside a sealed container instead of just using water, this way no soaking is ever done.

Bob_Luken

BKDog said:

they've been soaking for so long that some of the salts inside may have leeched out. 

Salts leaving the bag during a bath? Well sheuht!  Has anybody ever considered that? I haven't?  Can't remember it being brought up here on our forum either. If it was I missed it. 

I suppose I could taste the bath water to be sure.