Excited after hearing that your long-distance best friend is coming over at your place for a short vacation, you decided to set up the guest bedroom. While cleaning your bathroom over the weekend, you come across a pink mold in shower. Alarmed by this unusual growth, you search over the internet on how to remove pink stains in bathtub. And that’s how you have ended up here.
Pink mold in shower — pinkish buildup in shower — is not mold. In fact, it is a harmful bacteria known as Serratia marcescens. The bacteria is notorious for causing serious infections. Once spotted, make sure that your skin never comes in direct contact with the pink mold – the bacteria.
What Causes Pink Mold in Bathroom Shower?
For the bacteria, the bathroom is the perfect environment as it provides warm temperatures, dampness, and mineral deposits. But why does the bacteria grow in shower? Inside the shower, the bacteria will find plenty of mineral deposits in the form of soap scum left behind. It will also gladly munch on fatty deposits left behind in the residue of personal hygiene products. The mold is likely to spread in areas where there is excess moisture in the air. This moisture allows the bacteria to become airborne and travel freely, resulting in pink stains in shower.
How to Get Rid of Pink Mold in Shower – Step by Step
In this section, we will explain how to get rid of pink mold in shower. But before you start the cleanup process, don’t forget to wear protective gear. This step is important as any exposure to the bacteria can be harmful to your health. When cleaning, wear rubber gloves and a pair of protective glasses.
1. Make the Solution
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In a bowl, take 1/2 cup of baking soda. Add 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. Now, add water to the mixture to form a runny paste.
2. Scrub the Shower
Take a nylon-bristled scrub brush and dip it into the paste. Apply the mixture directly to the mold and scrub the place vigorously. Pay special attention to the space between the tiles for a thorough cleanup.
3. Rinse Up
Once you have scrubbed the area thoroughly, rinse the area with water and wash away the leftover paste.
How to Prevent Pink Mold in Shower Curtain
Since the growth of bacteria is harmful to your health, you must take a proactive approach. Instead of waiting for the mold to appear, you should take steps to prevent the growth of this pink mold. Here are some tips that will help you prevent the growth of the mold and the subsequent pink stains in shower.
1. Drying Your Shower
The last-minute shower that we take before setting out for work doesn’t leave us with enough time to dry out the shower. However, our negligence may provide a healthy environment for the bacteria to grow. To prevent the growth of pink bacteria in bathroom, dry your shower after each use.
2. Keep the Exhaust Fan On
Exhaust fans also play an important role in keeping the moisture out of the bathroom. Before you take a bath, turn on the fan and leave it on for at least 20 minutes after you have showered. This will dry out the shower area and make it difficult for the bacteria to grow.
3. Repair Work
Leaks in bathrooms are very common, and almost every homeowner has faced this problem. However, this problem requires your special attention. Running toilets, leaky showerheads, and dripping faucets, if left untreated for a long time, become a constant source of moisture. This condition is ideal for bacterial growth. In case you spot any type of leak in your bathroom, the first thing that you should do is to get the repair work done.
4. Wash Shower Curtains
Shower curtains are one of the safest places for the bacteria. To prevent its growth, you should wash your shower curtain regularly – at least once a month. If your curtain is machine washable, run them through a gentle cycle with warm water. The regular cleaning of shower curtains will effectively stop the growth of the bacteria.
FAQs on Pink Shower Mold
Q: Why is my shower turning pink?
If you are noticing some pink growth in your shower, it may be serratia marcescens – a type of bacteria. For health safety purposes, it is advisable that you get rid of the mold as soon as possible.
Q: Is pink mold dangerous?
By the looks of it, it may seem like a harmless growth in your shower, but pink mold is a harmful bacteria that may lead to various infections. Exposure to the mold can even lead to urinary tract infections, gastrointestinal conditions, pneumonia, etc.
Q: Why is the color of the growth pink?
The pink color is because of a pigment produced by Serratia marcescens at room temperature. In some cases, and depending on the growing conditions, the color of the bacteria can be orange, salmon pink, or blood red.
Q: What does pink moldlook like?
The slimy buildup, especially on your shower head, is usually the pink mold. However, most of the time, it doesn’t appear to be noticeably pink.
Wrap Up on Pink Mold in Shower
The sight of the pink mold in shower might have freaked you out. Learning more about the dangers of the bacteria might have run shivers down your spine. While this fear is justifiable, it is equally important for you to understand that this situation is manageable.
The safety precaution that you have to carry out – if you are killing the mold on your own – is to wear protective gear throughout the cleaning process. Since the bacteria is responsible for causing harmful infections, it is better if you get rid of it as early as possible.
In this article, we have listed the tried and tested method to kill the pink mold. Follow these steps to ensure that your bathroom is not hosting any harmful bacteria and there are no pink stains in bathtub. Also, once you have gotten rid of the mold, it is important for you to take safety precautions to prevent the regrowth of the harmful bacteria.
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