# gooey pink mold



## seoul_mama (Jul 10, 2007)

Mods - Can't find a forum for consumer products - hope it's okay to post here.

I have a cool mist humidifier (company is Vics?), which I started to use since we have the heat on at night that dries the air. So I clean it out every other day and have noticed slimey, gooey pink mold.

Does this happen to you?
Is pink mold dangerous?
Any prevention tips?
Is there a better humidifier than the one I have AND one that's EASY to clean?

TIA!


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## Pyxi (Feb 28, 2007)

Are you sure it's mold and not hard water stains? I have never heard of pink mold before.


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## seoul_mama (Jul 10, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pyxi* 
Are you sure it's mold and not hard water stains? I have never heard of pink mold before.

hard water creates pink stains? didn't know that...


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## Contrariety (Jul 16, 2007)

How cold does the water get in it? There is a mold known in the food industry as "cold water sludge."

From what I understand it's not toxic... still very gross, though.

It builds up a lot in ice machines and the like.

My mom's hard water actually does leave redish-pink marks. I've always figured it was some sort of mold or mildew that thrived on the deposits left by the hard water. I've never seen it anywhere other than at my mom's house.


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## phatchristy (Jul 6, 2005)

Ooh...my daughter would be psyched to know there was pink mold out there.









We just get the boring brown/green/back stuff here







:.


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## IansMommy (Jun 14, 2005)

Do you have high iron levels in your water? We do, and it leaves light pink around our toilet rims. Can you use distilled water in it? That might solve teh issue.


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## InfoisPower (Nov 21, 2001)

Leave that pink sludge and it will turn to black mildew in my experience.


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## texaspeach (Jun 19, 2005)

some types of bacterial colonies are pink/red, the one that comes to mind is Serratia marcescens. if you get pink slimey stuff in your shower, it's most likely S. marcescens (thank you microbiology class, I finally used you in every day life







)


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## Throkmorton (Jun 30, 2003)

gooey and pink = mildew or bacterial colony. As the PP said, it invades my shower if I don't clean it at least once a week.


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Throkmorton* 
gooey and pink = mildew or bacterial colony. As the PP said, it invades my shower if I don't clean it at least once a week.

yup, its living in the corners of my shower right now....... i should clean it before my mother arrives







:


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## Throkmorton (Jun 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *wonderwahine* 
yup, its living in the corners of my shower right now....... i should clean it before my mother arrives







:

That's nothing. I think mine was gaining sentience. I had named it and everything. Finally, I got someone to clean it for me because I can't reach my whole tub with the belly in the way


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## wonderwahine (Apr 21, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Throkmorton* 
That's nothing. I think mine was gaining sentience. I had named it and everything. Finally, I got someone to clean it for me because I can't reach my whole tub with the belly in the way









ours is like a member of the family....... and i dont have the belly to use an excuse







:

anyway, to the op, i would wipe out the machine with some vinegar next time you clean it.


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## wannabe (Jul 4, 2005)

If it's Serratia (thanks for the name!), I've heard that peroxide works well on it.


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## MillingNome (Nov 18, 2005)

Learn something new everyday


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## seoul_mama (Jul 10, 2007)

thanks mamas!







:


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## hottmama (Dec 27, 2004)

We have pink in our shower, too. I figured it was some kind of fungus. Ick. It washes off easily, though, compared to the black mold I've given up on.
Our apartment is always humid (the windows fog up) and we don't have any windows in the bathroom.


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