Whisk developing black spots

[tjkoko]

Yes, my chasen is developing some dark spots on some of the tines. After using in a matcha session, the whisk is thoroughly rinsed with boiling hot water and sets in my kitchen on the shelf to air dry. After a few days have passed the chasen is placed into its original plastic container. Please tell me that these spots are normal and not mold.

If they're mold, would placing the chasen in a bleach solution relieve it of the mold?

[teaisme]

hum don't drink matcha but I am yet to hear of a situation where bleach and teaware go together

may I ask where you got your whisk from?

[AdamMY]

Yes, my chasen is developing some dark spots on some of the tines. After using in a matcha session, the whisk is thoroughly rinsed with boiling hot water and sets in my kitchen on the shelf to air dry. After a few days have passed the chasen is placed into its original plastic container. Please tell me that these spots are normal and not mold.

If they're mold, would placing the chasen in a bleach solution relieve it of the mold?

Photo's would be helpful. To tell you the truth my Chasen has some gray spots on it, that I believe to be nothing but matcha that hasn't washed away. In fact I've learned that matcha sticks quite well to any sort of porous surface such as Chasen tines, and the back of a Chashaku, and sometimes water does nothing more than drive it further into the pores.

[tjkoko]

...Photo's would be helpful. To tell you the truth my Chasen has some gray spots on it, that I believe to be nothing but matcha that hasn't washed away. In fact I've learned that matcha sticks quite well to any sort of porous surface such as Chasen tines, and the back of a Chashaku, and sometimes water does nothing more than drive it further into the pores.

@AdamMY:

Yes, occasionally the spots are green colored although not really black but grayish at times. And that's what I also surmised, that it's matcha tea adhering to the tines.

To develop mold, the item imho must be stored in damp condition as I did once with a cheap chawan. With some mold forming at the base, it was soaked in a dilute bleach solution for several days until the mold disappeared. None has reappeared since and that cheap chawan has still retained its original color without emitting any sort of bleach odor.