A friend says her flash cotton and flash paper don't work after being unused so long due to the Pandemic.

I told her I suspect she should just dry it but I wanted to hear from someone with experience. Just spread it out on a tray in the sunlight or is there some other process/

I've had flash cotton, flash paper, and flash string stored for at least 2 years and it worked fine. Never had a problem with it.

I've got Paper, Cotton and String that's over 20 years old that still works fine. If you keep it in an airtight container there should be no problem.

How is your friend storing it?

FWIW

I use flash paper in a finger flasher quite often, so it's hard for me to have extra laying around for long periods of time, however I have had flash paper lay around for close to a year and never had a problem with it igniting, I just dry it out completely and it works fine.


Jonah

I had it happen to me once. I lit the flashpaper and it burned slowly so instead of being used up in the flash the flaming paper went right down to the floor.

I'm sure the problem is storage but my friend wanted to know how to fix the suff she has.

I'm not aware of anything she can do at this point. She can chalk it up as a learning experience of how to store it correctly.

She can fool with it and burn her eyebrows off in the process.throw it away,get fresh stuff,store it properly...

Flash Paper should be stored in a metal container, like those holiday cookie tins, with a tight fitting lid.

Slow burning flash paper is in my experience the result of the manufacturing process. At the local magic shop they get samples for demonstration purposes. stanped as demonstration supply. Or use to when I worked their. I was there one day when the lady sales clerk, had the tin open, and laid a blown out match on a piece of flash paper, well it ignited the whole tin and the flames leaped into the air and onto the floor. Luckily, it was so fast the carpet did not catch on fire.

I don't advise putting the flash paper in the sun, as it can ignite the paper from being heated up. To dry out, just put in a tin, and leave the lid, open a little. And keep an eye on it. Most houses are dry, and will draw out the moisture from the paper.