Pink sludge

HelpMeBreath · Post by **HelpMeBreath** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:07 pm

Good afternoon. I have observed the most bizarre thing in my humidifier lately. Pink sludge. I have changed the cleaning methods and solutions but still on occasion I see it. Has anyone encountered this before?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:28 pm

Nope. I ONLY use Distilled water, and I occasionally wash my chamber, and soak it in a 50/50 white vinegar/water solution.

Try using only distilled water, and washing it more often.

Could be that in your house, you have a higher level of mold spores than I do. You might have to dump and air dry your humidifier chamber every morning.

Good luck!!!!!
Babs

skjansen · Post by **skjansen** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:30 pm

I found that I got pink sludge, and quickly got it, when I had to use tap water. I had run out of distilled and thought it would not make a lot of difference. Wrong!!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:34 pm

I had a patient about a month ago bring his humidifier chamber in with the exact same thing. He had already tried and eliminated many things to try and get rid of it. I sent it to the lab in the hospital and had them culture it. It was a type of fungus, very long name, I will try to remember find it again. Bottom line, replace your humidifier chamber because nothing killed it, it even came back 3 days after a washing with bleach.

AKCPAPGUY

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:34 pm

used to get it in the toilets at my old place, attributed that to possibly being something the water company added for treatment of the city tap water. I thought it might be fluoride added to the city water to reduce cavities in teeth, or nitrates, but could be wrong on both counts.

I only use distilled water in my machine so I never really have any build up in the tank.

HelpMeBreath · Post by **HelpMeBreath** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:45 pm

Wow... OK, well thats good and bad news then. Very weird, I did have to use tap water on two seperate occasions when I ran out of distilled. I think its something the city is putting in the water as well (I will tell myself its that and not some kind of spore). OK, well I just wanted to make sure it wasnt coming OUT of me... I will get a new chamber.

Thanks for the replies!

RiverDave · Post by **RiverDave** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:57 pm

From the Milwaulkee Water Works website:

http://www.water.mpw.net/3faqs.htm#6

"The pink growth or stain is the result of a mold or a bacterium, specifically, Serratia marcescens. The mold is present in the air. Mold and bacteria grow wherever there is a warm, moist or humid environment, like a tub or showerhead. The mold and bacteria feed on the small quantities of nutrients in water.

Regular cleaning with bleach or a cleaner that removes mildew will clear the mold. Wipe away standing water to reduce growth. Certain materials, like rubber, plastic gaskets, etc., contain nutrients that help these organisms grow."

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:05 pm

Funny story - my Mom is a PhD biochemist. She threw this big long latin name at me one day, complaining I hadn't cleaned it properly. I asked "What the F is that??" and she said "The pink sludge that grows around the sink faucets."

That is an example of a woman educated beyond anyone's normal daily needs.

But yeah - regular cleaning will take care of it. Do use distilled water only. If you have to use tap, then as soon as possible clean thoroughly with soap and water, then soak for a couple of hours in a 50/50 vinegar/water solution (4-6 hours). Rinse, re-wash with soap, rinse, and air dry.

Taking it out every morning, dumping the water, and air drying should also help too. If you find it doesn't air dry during the day, try setting it in a warm place, like on top of your hot water tank.

Letting it remain moist all day will only encourage growth. You clearly have a mold issue in your particular house. Everyone's house is different. Not your fault. You're not DIRTY. It just happens.

And this is why so many of us drink filtered water and keep the Brita people in business....

LOL,
Babs

GumbyCT · Post by **GumbyCT** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:31 pm

I have talked with a few RT's who say that pink stuff is very dangerous. They could never provide any details about where it originated from or how - just that you don't want to breath it.

OldLincoln · Post by **OldLincoln** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:37 pm

I don't ANYTHING about potential harmful effects but I've wondered about using dissolved dishwasher detergent (DD) when you have something that nasty. I think it contains lye that should eat just about anything. When our 35 year old sink refuses to come clean I make a paste of the DD and it looks like new.

HelpMeBreath · Post by **HelpMeBreath** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:39 pm

That is REALLY informative.. Thanks for the research. Its something I saw a while ago and kept telling myself to go back to this site and ask about but never remembered. I am thinking that it may very well have been there after I had been gone for a few days, I would like to say I am diligent about emptying it every morning but there have been occasions when I ran out of the house and did not.

Thanks for the answers.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:07 pm

RiverDave wrote:From the Milwaulkee Water Works website:

http://www.water.mpw.net/3faqs.htm#6

"The pink growth or stain is the result of a mold or a bacterium, specifically, Serratia marcescens. The mold is present in the air. Mold and bacteria grow wherever there is a warm, moist or humid environment, like a tub or showerhead. The mold and bacteria feed on the small quantities of nutrients in water.

Regular cleaning with bleach or a cleaner that removes mildew will clear the mold. Wipe away standing water to reduce growth. Certain materials, like rubber, plastic gaskets, etc., contain nutrients that help these organisms grow."

Milwaulkee has a newer $80 million dollar water purification plant that uses Ozone. This after the cryptosporin single cell parasite outbreak in 1993 that killed over 100 people.

Come to think of it, in the old place after putting one of those 3" pool chlorine tablets in the toilet that pink stuff went away.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:23 pm

But yeah - regular cleaning will take care of it. Do use distilled water only. If you have to use tap, then as soon as possible clean thoroughly with soap and water, then soak for a couple of hours in a 50/50 vinegar/water solution (4-6 hours). Rinse, re-wash with soap, rinse, and air dry.

In Mckooi's recent link to "is your house killing you" one of the "experts" (I have no idea of his real credentials) said that bleach only make mold transparent, but does not kill it. Vinegar does. Falls in with the above statement.
O.

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