The reactions of H3O+⋅nH2O ions with CH2O and CH3OH have been studied in flowing afterglow and flow drift reaction systems. Hydrated protonated formalidehyde, CH2OH+⋅nH2O, reacts with H2O to form H3O+ hydrates and CH2O for small n. Therefore protonated formaldehyde ions are not expected to have significant atmospheric concentrations. Methanol reacts rapidly with H3O+⋅nH2O ions for n=0,1, 2, and 3. The absence of protonated methanol ions in the atmosphere above 40 km, where H3O+⋅nH2O (n=0, 1, 2, and 3) are observed to be the dominant ions, yields a useful upper limit on the atmosphere concentration of methanol.