Sometimes, pink mold can look more orange than pink. This is because room temperatures can cause the mold to develop a red pigment. In addition to its color, pink mold often has a fuzzy or slimy texture. Usually, it will be found growing in between bathroom tiles and on shower curtains.
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.
Today, pink mold is a common sight in bathrooms and other damp places. It's also responsible for 1.4% of hospital-acquired infections in the US. Pink mold bacteria feed off fats like those found in the residue of soap and shampoo.
You can find pink mold in the shower, tub, toilet and other places around the bathroom. 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.
Since bacteria can be difficult to kill, the area will need to be treated with a disinfectant solution to be sure the bacteria is dead. In a spray bottle, mix a 50:50 solution of warm water and chlorine bleach.
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.
Pink Mold in a Shower
Rinse the areas with mold using the hottest water possible and your shower sprayer. Make a paste of four parts baking soda to one part liquid dish soap. Use your nylon scrub brush and the baking soda paste to scrub the areas with mold.
Vinegar can be an effective treatment for pink mold, though not as effective as baking soda and bleach. Where vinegar truly shines is in preventing pink mold from reoccurring after you've cleaned it up once.
One of the most common is Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens), which looks like mold, but is actually bacteria. Ranging from pink to pinkish-orange or orange, it most often forms on damp bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room surfaces where it can feed on the fat and phosphorus in soap scum.
Pay attention to the color and consistency: We already talked about black mold above, though it's more accurate to say that Stachybotrys chartarum has a greenish-black hue. Toxic mold can also have a grayish, soot-like texture, or a slimy, wet surface. In some cases, you may even notice furry orange or brown spots.
If you can see or smell mold, a health risk may be present. You do not need to know the type of mold growing in your home, and CDC does not recommend or perform routine sampling for molds. No matter what type of mold is present, you should remove it.
The most dangerous type of mold found indoors is Stachybotrys chartarum, often called “black mold.” Black mold is toxic to humans and pets.
What are the symptoms of mold toxicity? The symptoms of mold issues can be divided into two main categories. According to McElroy, the first is an immune reaction to mold, which typically involves allergy-like symptoms such as sinus issues, runny nose, itchy skin and eyes, asthma, shortness of breath, and more.
Tips to Prevent Pink Mold From Coming Back
Dry your shower walls and shower curtains after each use to eliminate excess water and moisture. A towel or squeegee should do the trick. Use antimicrobial shower curtain liners and bathmats designed to keep away stains and odors caused by microbial growth.
Only black mold is toxic.
Black mold can produce toxic mycotoxins, and so can some species of green mold. In fact, not all black molds produce mycotoxins. Thus, assessing mold toxicity based on color will result in incorrect conclusions.
The pink stuff is more likely to spread when there is excess moisture in the air. Though it sounds counterintuitive, keep bathroom windows closed while you shower. Serratia marcescens is an airborne bacterial species and can waft into your bathroom from outdoors.
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.
Mix 1/4 cup baking soda and one tablespoon liquid dish soap to make a cleaning paste. Put the paste on the bacteria, remove the pink coating with a soft-bristled brush, and then rinse it thoroughly. You must clean up the area when the pink has disappeared.
Yes, if you have damp and mould in your home you're more likely to have respiratory problems, respiratory infections, allergies or asthma. Damp and mould can also affect the immune system.
Urine Mycotoxin Test Kit
Urine mycotoxin tests are ideal for testing yourself (and your family members) for mycotoxin exposure. They're absolutely painless, totally non-invasive, and incredibly easy to use.
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.
To kill the bacteria, clean affected surfaces with a strong chlorine bleach solution.
Pink mold in a humidifier
Mold also has a pungent smell which will linger in the room even after you clean the affected area.
A: What you're seeing is often called "pink mold." It is actually a type of bacteria, Serratia marcescens. Bubbly liquids often dislodge this growth, even when scrubbing does not. Try dribbling club soda along the top edge of the tile, or at least above the area where the grout is pink.