DIY & Home Improvement

grasswire

(50,130 posts) Sat Mar 10, 2012, 03:49 PM Mar 2012

moldy wooden matches??

This is a puzzle. About four months ago I bought kitchen matches -- the kind of packaging that's a bunch of little boxes packed in cello wrapper. Last week I opened up the cello wrapper, opened one of the little boxes and found moldy wooden matches. Black powdery stems. Opened another box; same thing.

Now, how could matches get moldy inside boxes inside a cello wrapper? They don't light, either, by the way. The cello pack was stored inside a drawer of a storage cart with other household stuff -- light bulbs, filters, etc. All in a closet.

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moldy wooden matches?? (Original Post) grasswire Mar 2012 OP

They were made of wet, unseasoned wood. Warpy Mar 2012 #1

Excellent answer and I love your sig line. OffWithTheirHeads Mar 2012 #2

on reading your answer I looked at the boxes again grasswire Mar 2012 #3

Tell me about it! Here in NM, we've had more power outages this winter Warpy Mar 2012 #4

The wood wasn't dried properly during manufacture. MineralMan Mar 2012 #5

Warpy

(111,305 posts)

1. They were made of wet, unseasoned wood.

Reply to grasswire (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 08:07 PM

Mar 2012

Return them to the store. You won't get your money back after 4 months but they do need to know there's a problem with that vendor. Wet matches no worky and probably wouldn't have worked 4 months ago.

At least the cellophane prevented the mold from escaping the package.

OffWithTheirHeads

(10,337 posts)

2. Excellent answer and I love your sig line.

Reply to Warpy (Reply #1)

Sun Mar 11, 2012, 03:35 AM

Mar 2012

I deduced that the problem started before the cello but you nailed it.

grasswire

(50,130 posts)

3. on reading your answer I looked at the boxes again

Reply to Warpy (Reply #1)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 03:26 AM

Mar 2012

Penley Match Co. of Maine. The matches are made in India. Bought them at the local Kroger, which means I can return them up to six months with no problem at all. Hardly worth doing, though, except that I'm sure other people have found the same problem, or will. I sure don't want to be without any in case of power outage. It's been hella windy weather.

Warpy

(111,305 posts)

4. Tell me about it! Here in NM, we've had more power outages this winter

Reply to grasswire (Reply #3)

Tue Mar 13, 2012, 03:46 PM

Mar 2012

that we do during the height of monsoon season.

It might be time to switch to paper matches and just keep those lanterns out where you can find them fast. Or get a headlamp and leave it out where you can get it.

MineralMan

(146,320 posts)

5. The wood wasn't dried properly during manufacture.

Reply to grasswire (Original post)

Wed Mar 28, 2012, 02:58 PM

Mar 2012

Damp wood spells mold.

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