How to clea orange mildew/mold from inside Humidifier water reservoir?

Question

Water reservoir has orange mold/mildew on inside of water reservoir, on the top, only opening on reservoir is a small hole to fill the water. no way to get hand or brush inside to scrub, I have tried soaking it in simple green, but mold not going away ! My fault , I did not clean & empty properly, after last winters use! 🙄 any ideas, would be appreciated!

Anne · Answer

I had similar problem with orange matter. I read your ideas - good ideas - then went to vickshumidifiers.com to look for a manual. Looked up the picture of the kind I had and they had a tab for the manual. For my humidifier, the V4600, there are 2 weekly cleaning methods plus the ‘End of Season Care.’ Pages 8 - 10 in the v4600 manual. The vinegar comments above were right on!

I cut and paste the following:

Weekly Care and Cleaning:

Scale Removal Directions: (?that’s what it says)

make sure unit is unplugged and power switch turned off
Remove Water Tank and empty base of any water.
Remove mist nozzle and water tank cap and set aside.
Fill water tank from bottom and water tray area of base with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar.
Place mist nozzle and tank cap in water tray area of base to soak.
Soak for 15-20 minutes.
Using a soft cloth, gently clean transducer area in base to remove mineral deposits.
Rinse water tray area of base, water tank, tank cap and mist nozzle until the smell of solution is gone.

Disinfectant method using bleach & water:

Add 1 Teaspoon of bleach to 1 gallon (3.8L) water.
Add 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 gallon (1.9-2.8L) of the water/bleach solution to water reservoir of the main housing and water tank.
follow steps 5-8 above

End-Of-Season Care And Storage

Follow the CLEANING instructions, starting on page 8, (Weekly Care & Cleaning) when the humidifier will not be used for at least one week or more, or at the end of the season

At the end of the season, remove any accessories used with the humidifier and allow to dry properly.

Dry the humidifier completely before storing. DO NOT store with water inside the main housing water reservoir or water tank.

Pack unit in original carton and store in a cool, dry location.

Consumer Relations

Call us toll-free at: 1-800-477-0457

E-mail: consumerrelations@kaz.com

Or visit our website at: www.vickshumidifiers.com

TO ORDER REPLACEMENT PARTS CONTACT CONSUMER RELATIONS

Please be sure to specify model number.

There are pictures in the manual. I wasn’t able to cut and paste them. Hope this helps!

Christine · Answer

thank you, I will give the vinegar / water mix a try! And if need too, try bleach also

Lokie · Answer

I have had great results using hot water and vinegar. Let it soak over night then rinse well.

GMD22270496 · Answer

I get this in my humidifier water reservoir during winter. It is some kind of orange slime and my hand doesn't fit through the hole, either. To remove it, I pour uncooked rice into the reservoir, then add some vinegar (one half cup) and water (one cup), put the cap on and shake like crazy back and forth and up and down. Removes the orange slime and the scale quickly. The hardest part of the deal is flushing every bit of rice out but its abrasive quality is what scrubs the slime off.

Nancy Turner · Answer

You could try one of those baby bottle washers that has a sponge on top to get inside. If it isn't long enough, strap it to a small dowel to make the handle longer. Wash it with good hot water and soap to try to get as much as possible. Use the bleach to try to get the color gone. Fill and soak with vinegar water or straight vinegar because of its excellent antibacterial and antifungal properties to kill all the mold spores that may be left. Let is soak as long as you want, as long as it is at least 20 minutes to a half hour to let it work. Empty it out and let it dry before you use it. Hopefully this will work for you!

How to clea orange mildew/mold from inside Humidifier water reservoir?

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