The good news is Serratia marcescens is mostly harmless. Touching it while you're showering or cleaning won't cause any problems (in rare cases it can cause infections through open wounds or the eye). But it's unsightly and you don't want it in your bathroom. Here's how to get rid of “pink mold” for good.
Like all molds, pink mold carries certain health risks with long-term exposure. The most common health problems are eye, nail and skin infection or rash. While anyone can experience an allergic reaction, infants and the elderly are more likely to develop severe symptoms.
Sensitive people who have touched or inhaled mold or mold spores may have allergic reactions such as a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, watery eyes, skin rash and itching (dermatitis). Molds can trigger asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds, causing wheezing, chest tightness and shortness of breath.
It may not be as toxic as black mold, but pink mold has been linked to urinary tract infections, wound infections and gastrointestinal distress. It can also cause various ailments such as lung infection, rashes, allergy, and inflammation, bleeding in lungs, malaise feeling, and other respiratory troubles.
Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores can cause a person to become allergic to mold. Molds can trigger asthma symptoms including shortness of breath, wheezing, or cough in people with known allergies. People who do not have allergies can also become irritated.
Mold spores are everywhere but invisible to your eye, as are the kinds of germs that make us sick—though the two are not the same. Washing your hands removes the mold (and germs) from them—at least for a short time. This is why it's important to always wash your hands before you cook or eat.
This can happen immediately or after exposure, depending on your body. If you don't have a mold allergy, a one-time exposure may cause no symptoms. But sometimes, it can cause symptoms even if you're not allergic. Again, it's different for each person.
You can kill it with simple household cleaning products. The best product to use is bleach. Bleach can kill pink mold bacteria, and also tackle any stains it leaves behind. This solution will work on most common surfaces, like baths, faucets, and bathroom tiles.
Green-Black Mold – A toxic color combination.
This type of mold is one of the most dangerous molds that we find. It poses a hazard to your health and any living thing it reaches due to its deadly mycotoxins.
What is The Pink Slime? Plain and simple, the pink or orange slime is bacteria growth, not too dissimilar to that which you may have seen developing in other humid areas around your home, such as a shower or bathroom. The most common type of bacteria is a form of non-contagious salmonella mould.
Some varieties of mold are serious and infectious. These can cause skin rashes, irritation, and fungal infections on open wounds. One should never touch mold with bare hands or get it on your skin.
Wash your hands as soon a you can for a reasonable amount of time with soap and water after handling moldy food. Do not put your hands near your face, eyes, nose, mouth or clothing.
Vinegar is an excellent mild mould-killer, and also removes mildew smells from your clothing. Mix one cup of white vinegar in a bucket of water, and pre-soak the clothing for at least an hour. Then launder in your washing machine at the hottest temperature possible with your regular detergent, such as Persil Non-Bio.
Symptoms of a rash from mold
itchiness. dry and scaly skin. raw and sensitive skin. brown or pink skin.
Getting a mycotoxin test may help you determine whether you have mold toxicity in your body. This is a great way to test whether the harmful antigens in the mold are negatively impacting your health. This test may help you decide how to treat your mold exposure and allergies.
1. Stachybotrys. Commonly referred to as “black mold,” stachybotrys is one of the most dangerous types of mold and can cause flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, headaches, memory loss and severe respiratory damage.
It's usually not as hazardous to your health as black mold and other fungi, but there are some pink mold dangers, such as urinary tract infections, intestinal problems and in rare cases pneumonia. You'll definitely want to rid your bathroom of the pink mold and take steps to keep it from coming back.
Pink shower mold usually appears as a slimy build-up, though it does not always appear to be specifically pink. The bacteria get their colour from a red pigment that is produced at room temperature. Depending on the growing conditions, the resulting color can range from salmon pink to orange or even blood red.
It's physically possible to paint over mold, but it will always reappear without proper remediation. Using mold-resistant paint works to prevent mold growth, but it won't kill it once it's started to grow. Mold can cause severe respiratory issues for people and pets.
Surprisingly, despite the common name, pink mold is actually not mold at all, but rather, is an overgrowth of a common bacteria called Serratia marcescens. This airborne bacteria thrives in warm, damp places.
Pink mold in a humidifier
Mold also has a pungent smell which will linger in the room even after you clean the affected area.
Overview. If you have a mold allergy, your immune system overreacts when you breathe in mold spores. A mold allergy can cause coughing, itchy eyes and other symptoms that make you miserable. In some people, a mold allergy is linked to asthma and exposure causes restricted breathing and other airway symptoms.
Activated charcoal can be taken as a supplement for assisting in the removal of mold from the body. Because of the adsorbent properties of activated charcoal, it quite literally traps toxins (like mycotoxins) in the body, allowing them to be flushed out so that the body doesn't reabsorb them.
The mold spores can colonize (grow) inside lung cavities that developed as a result of chronic diseases, such tuberculosis, emphysema, or advanced sarcoidosis. The fibers of fungus might form a lump by combining with white blood cells and blood clots. This lump or ball of fungus is called an aspergilloma or mycetoma.