What Is the Pink Mold in Your Shower? The “pink mold” creating slimy buildup in your bathroom is not actually mold at all: it's a bacteria. The two most common bacteria causing pink shower mold are called Serratia marcescens and Aureobasidium pullulans.
The “pink mold” you may find in your shower actually isn't mold, but a very common strain of airborne bacteria that's found throughout the world. The bacteria, Serratia marcescens, cause that pink or even red slime you might find in your shower, toilet bowl, or around other water fixtures.
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.
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.
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.
Once established, the organism usually cannot be eliminated entirely. However, periodic and thorough cleaning of the surfaces where the pink slime occurs, followed by disinfection with chlorine bleach, appears to be the best way to control it.
You may have seen pink stains around your shower at some point. Those are normal, and they're caused by the bacteria Serratia marcescens – commonly referred to as pink mold.
The discoloration comes from a biofilm—that is, a bacterial colony—of Serratia marcescens. The airborne bacterial species thrives in moist environments like showers, where it feeds on mineral deposits in soap scum and fatty deposits in soap and shampoo residue.
Renew Tile and Grout
The Pink Stuff is a savior in the bathroom — specifically tile and grout — and it annihilates dirt, stains and mold with ease.
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.
A very easy homemade mixture that you can use to clean Serratia marcescens is baking soda mixed with dish detergent (a 4:1 ratio works best). After rinsing this mixture off, continue cleaning with vinegar. Let this soak and then clean and rinse.
It might be unpleasant, but if you bought a clear shower curtain and it's now pink, it's because it's been attacked by mould. All the cleansing hot water is precisely why your shower is covered in mould. Moulds grow best in warm, damp, and humid conditions, and spread and reproduce by making spores.
The pink slimy residue that's most often found in the bathroom and around sinks/drains is not mold or an issue of water quality. The discoloration comes from evidence of a common bacterial inhabitant of our environment.
“The pink gunk is really an airborne bacterium called Serratia marcescens,” says Steven Stephenson, PhD, a researcher in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Arkansas who wrote not one but three books on slime molds.
Shower Drains Shine After Cleaning With The Pink Stuff
The Pink Stuff, however, can make it look brand new in seconds. While the paste works well on most bathroom surfaces, the brand's Miracle Bathroom Foam Cleaner is designed to remove dirt and grease as well as limescale stains.
Serratia marcescens is commonly referred to as “pink mold” or “pink mildew” but it is bacteria causing those irritating pink stains in the bathtub and on your shower head.
Kate Williams said: “Pink Stuff paste is essential for me to clean my tile grout and it's so cheap.” Melanie Lodge explained: “I used Pink Stuff paste. Left for 20 minutes and then scrubbed and rinsed. It gave me instant results.”
To Prevent Mold Growth in Your Home. Keep humidity levels in your home as low as you can—no higher than 50%–all day long. An air conditioner or dehumidifier will help you keep the level low. You can buy a meter to check your home's humidity at a home improvement store.
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.
The short answer is no, you're probably not going to die from eating mold; you'll digest it like any other food, and as long as you've got a relatively healthy immune system, the most you'll experience is some nausea or vomiting due to the taste/idea of what you've just eaten.
Exposure to mVOCs from molds can irritate the eyes and respiratory system and has been linked to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nasal irritation and nausea.
If an infected hand touches the eye and natural immunity is unable to fend off Serratia colonization, the result might be conjunctivitis, keratitis or tear duct infections, for example. Once in the bloodstream, Serratia bacteria can cause endocarditis, bacteremia, meningitis, osteomyelitis and arthritis.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa was killed in 10 seconds by all concentrations of ethanol from 30% to 100% (v/v), and Serratia marcescens, E, coli and Salmonella typhosa were killed in 10 seconds by all concentrations of ethanol from 40% to 100%.