Camera care: how to refresh and re-use moisture absorbing silica gel desiccant

Fungus is a silent destroyer of camera lenses. It thrives in warm and humid conditions such as camera cases. I recently purchased a camera and lens which externally appears in near mint condition. However, fungus has been growing in the lens, covering several lens surfaces and effectively destroying it. Repair would require disassembling the internal components and cleaning, but re-assembly needs calibration equipment, manuals and tools which are no longer available. Even if they were, the cost would exceed the value of the lens on the used market, making repair uneconomical.
That's why it's important to store your camera equipment to prevent fungal growth. It only requires a humidity controlled environment, the most economical solution is to use cheap airtight storage containers and a desiccant like silica gel to absorb moisture. Inexpensive humidity indicator strips show when the desiccant is saturated and needs changing or refreshing.
I use orange indicating silica gel which changes to green when saturated.
This video will show you how to refresh silica gel so it can be reused many times. The process only takes a few minutes, and involves heating the silica gel in a microwave oven for two to three minutes to release the water. I then heat the crystals in an electric oven at 120 to 150 Celcius for 5 to 10 minutes to evaporate all moisture from the crystals. Once cooled don the desiccant are bagged and returned to their containers.

[@AlphaSphere]

I'm thinking of creating a case with transparant windows to showcase a vintage lens. It would also doubles as an air tight box with scilica gel compartment to keep humidity levels low. At the back of the box I would put a digital humidity device to show the status. We must preserve vintage lenses as much as we can. They are only going down in numbers.

[@VonBromPhoto]

I use WiseHIC indicator strips, which change colour based on humidity. They are cheap (about $1 each) don't take up much room, and don't need batteries. 😀

[@holted1984]

Where they not restored fully after the microwave? And how long did you pop them in the over for afterwards?

[@VonBromPhoto]

The microwave forces the water out of the desiccant but it’s on the surface. The oven dries them out completely. To test when they can be taken pit of the oven, take some desiccant out and put a cool glass over them: if moisture condenses on the inside of the glass then keep them in the oven. When no moisture condenses on the glass they are fully dried out.

[@ShutayTomi]

Hi! If I don't have an oven and only have a microwave. Is microwaving enough?

[@goku445]

Surely

[@thedrunkengardenernb]

Heya, you can skip the microwave if doing the oven, or vice versa :)

[@VonBromPhoto]

Yes you can but I find microwaving is much faster.

[@82spiders]

Well, ya, except burning nat gas produces water, no?

[@VonBromPhoto]

It’s an electric oven.

[@neilfpv]

Did the color change? I was expecting it to turn back to blue.

[@VonBromPhoto]

This desiccant is orange when fresh and goes dark green when saturated. There is a different desiccant that uses cobalt for the indicator, it’s blue.

[@neilfpv]

@@VonBromPhoto got it. Thank you.

[@goku445]

@@neilfpv and the blue one is toxic.