How do you get rid of the brown build up that forms on the bottom of the tank? I can't fit my hand in, and a diluted bleach solution doesn't do it.
1262051
Hello. I take a dish rag, pour alcohol on it, place it inside the unit. I then use a long wooden kitchen spoon to move the rag around to clean the build up. For the harder to reach areas, I have a long thin brush that was originally purchased in a 3 brush set to clean my fish tank. Those work great. I also use q-tips dipped in alcohol to clean the inside of the detachable parts. Hope this helps
1509957
I have this problem. I think the problem for me anyway is I live on a well and have no chemicals added to the water. Im currently thinking of getting a small uv light to add to the back to possibly kill off any slime that wants to try and form. Try city water andsee if you still get the slime in the same ammount of time
361834
Fill it up with isopropyl until the internal glass tube is submerged, let it sit for as long as you can, see it helps. .. temporarily
1199315
That sounds like a fungus. I would give it a try. When my machine turned an ugly brown, after 8 years, this product took care of it in one use.
1265602
Could be hard water build up. Try wiping it off with a paper towel and apply some food grade mineral oil.
1341993
Have not used mine enough to have this problem. If build up includes grease, I.would clean. Otherwise,it's yourCall.
1470644
Perhaps bacteria buildup. Suggest hydrogen peroxide solution to run through it.
2233469
I have tried to keep it away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, and that has worked for me for a few years. I also try to keep it fairly full or I'll notice condensation on the top of the bottom segment that holds the filtered water (that is visible in the clear container). Hope that's not confusing. I would make sure everything is fully scrubbed before starting a fresh batch - it only takes a little bit of algae to grow into a mess you don't want to deal with. You could use a diluted bleach spray to get rid of it....just make sure to thoroughly wash it off!
2200456
No, the easiest solution is to empty the tank and slide it under. Unfortunately, I discovered that after filling my tank with 30 gallons of water. :-)
637805
Soak it in vinegar I suppose. Mine is stuck with blue mode only. No more red or green
126635
Water and butcher block are not good friends. Try using a cut piece of lemon on the worst of the stains and let it sit there at least over night. It sometimes works.
2215952
Try running a tank of vinegar through it. I always use distilled water. If it's over a year old might be time for a new one.
1303307
The tidy tank sludge stuff should take care of most of it. http://smile.amazon.com/B00FQMGR1S
1900489
I agree with Anthony...either use filtered or distilled water. I also have the blue block filter in the bottom and one of those round things in the tank itself and it sat like that all summer until I just cleaned it out to use this winter (last night in fact). Very little slime had built up which surprised me but the block filter was gross so I don't recommend letting it sit for very long without using it. Hope that helps some. The one I put in the water tank itself was a ProTec PC1 and that really helps keep the gunk from forming.
162315
Fill the sink with a bit of bleach water, and let it soak. I have gotten all the stains off of mine that way!
1079423
I spilled some yogurt on it and I found that blotting (very light pressure) with a damp cloth cloth worked well and then once I got every thing up I pressed much harder to get the excess water out. it worked well. as for keeping it as black as the day you got it... well... I'm open to sugggestions. HTH.
278428
In addition to regularly cleaning the tank with a water-vinegar solution, I've found the best way to reach the tight spots when there's mold or some sort of buildup is to pour in around a quarter cup of rice (a heavier grain like sushi rice) and then some water, then shake the tank like crazy. I spent hours trying to reach around the inside of my penguin tank with tools from a child's toothbrush to q-tips. After my last use, I didn't properly empty the tank, so I had a good film of mold on the bottom of the tank. With this rice and water combo, I was able to essentially scrub out the mold. As far as I can tell, it's all gone. Just make sure to get all of the rice out by rinsing, and to be sure I killed all of the bacteria, I rinsed the tank with hydrogen peroxide.