Reddish orange stain and goo in sink, tub, strainer, and humidifer!! HELP.?

Question

My husband and I have moved in a apartment a few months ago and I have been noticing a reddish orange stain and film in my dish strainer, sink, and bathtub. I also noticed it in my humidifier; it stained the filter and mold was growing on it. My husband thinks it's rust. Has this happend to anyone? If so, what did you go about fixing the problem? Is it harmful to drink, cook, do laundry, and bathe in? Thank you.

Answer 1

There might be a high level of iron in your water. If this is the problem, it's not harmful, but it can stain things. (A friend of mine had well water with a high amount of iron, and her hair would turn a red orange color after awhile from showering. ) I suggest looking into water filtration systems that attach at the pipe level before the water leaves the tap. Check HomeDepot or Lowe's online for different filtration systems that attach under the sink. Good luck.

Answer 2

It is rust. No doubt you have well water.

It is safe to shower in but because i find it has a bad smell at times I do not use it for cooking. Keep several gallons on hand. You can get them at the grocery store and then refill them at a friends house who has city water.

Laundry is fine but you may need a product like "Yellow Out' or "Iron Out". .after some time, whites are not so white anymore, even with bleach.

For a dishwasher, after about every 5 washes, use a package of lemonade kool aid (the kind with no sugar that you can buy for about fifteen cents) and just add it to the wash soap. After a few uses you will notice a difference.

For cleaning I have not found anything that works as good as "The Works" there is a tub cleaner and a toilet cleaner. If you put it on the surface, wait a few minutes then use a sponge with a bit of abrasive cleaner like "Comet" on it, It wipes away very easily..

you can email me at my yahoo address if i can be of any further assistance... i had to learn all this stuff when i moved into my new home a few years ago..