How To Clean Pink Mildew From Shower Curtain

March 28, 2019

Pink Mold in the Shower: How to Get Rid of It

Updated September 3, 2019

Did you just perform a search for "pink mold in shower", "pink shower mold" or "pink mold shower"? Acquire more about that pesky pinkish residue in your shower and how to get rid of it with our tips for removal and prevention.

Pink Shower Mold: What is information technology?

This pink mold you've found growing on your shower mantle, or in your toilet is not actually mold at all; in fact, it's a Gram-negative bacteria that is scientifically known as Serratia marcescens.

The pink color is from a pigment (prodigiosin) produced past Serratia marcescens under the right growing conditions.

Serratia marcescens is commonly referred to as "pink mold" or "pinkish mildew" but it is bacteria causing those irritating pink stains in the bathtub and on your shower head.

What Does Pink Shower Mold Look Like?

Pink shower mold ordinarily appears as a slimy build-upwards, though information technology does not always announced to be specifically pink.

The leaner get their colour from a cherry-red pigment that is produced at room temperature. Depending on the growing weather condition, the resulting color tin range from salmon pink to orange or even claret red.

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Pink mold on shower head

Where Does Pinkish Mold Grow?

The bathroom is the perfect place to find Serratia marcescens because information technology thrives in moist environments. Information technology needs dampness, mineral deposits, and warm temperatures to grow.

Inside of the bath, you are most likely to find pinkish balance in the shower which is why it is frequently referred to as "pink shower mold".

The shower is the perfect place for these bacteria to grow as they can feed on the mineral deposits left behind by lather scum and the fatty deposits in personal hygiene product residual.

"Pink shower mold" is most likely to spread when there is backlog moisture in the air, allowing the bacteria to become airborne and travel.

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"Pinkish Mold" on shower curtain liner

Associated Wellness Risks

Although this type of bacteria is not as unsafe as black mold, a diversity of potential health hazards are linked to exposure to pinkish shower mold.

While it is harmless to near healthy people that come into contact with it externally, a Serratia marcescens infection can cause various health complications if it enters the trunk, either through the optics or an open wound.

The severity and likelihood of these complications increases in elderly people, young children, and individuals with compromised allowed systems.

Household pets can also be at take a chance.

Potential health risks to high-risk individuals include:

UTI'due south (Urinary Tract Infections) and Bladder Infections
Breathing Difficulties
Septicemia (Claret Poisoning)
Endocarditis
Pneumonia
Gastrointestinal Ailments
Osteomyelitis (Bone Infection)
Infection of Open up Wounds or Sores
Meningitis

How to Get Rid of Pink Bacteria in Shower

Despite "pink shower mold" not being the most chancy microbe out there, it is yet in your best interest to remove it as before long as you lot run into buildup beginning to grade.

Spraying a diluted solution of bleach will impale the bacteria and lighten the pink stain. However, to provide a longer-lasting effect, the area will need to be scrubbed downwardly. This gets rid of the underlying minerals and soap scum that the bacteria love to feed on.

To Scrub Downwards:

Step one: Suit Upwards in Protective Gear

To protect yourself from unnecessary exposure to the Serratia marcescens shower leaner, clothing a pair of protective glasses and safety gloves during your cleaning.

Pace 2: Mix Up

Mix ½ cup of baking soda with one tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and add together pocket-size amounts of water to the mixture until it forms a runny paste.

Step 3: Scrub Up (and Down)

Dip a nylon-bristled scrub castor into the paste and vigorously scrub your shower tiles, paying special attention to the grout between the tiles.

Step 4: Rinse Up

Use the removable shower head (if your shower has 1) or a pocket-sized saucepan to thoroughly rinse the shower. Y'all tin can as well use a duster or moisture towel to do then, ensuring all the leftover paste is done away cleanly.

A Few More Tips

Drying your shower later on each employ (with a towel or squeegee) can aid prevent mold regrowth
Washing your shower curtains once a calendar month (check if they are machine washable, and so run them through a gentle cycle with warm h2o) can finer remove pink mold from one of its' favourite living spaces
Turn on your bathroom's exhaust fan earlier you shower and exit it on for xx minutes after your shower to help dry out the air in the bath
Repair shower caput leaks, dripping faucets, and running toilets every bit these common problems provide a constant source of wet, perfect for bacterial growth

How Ultra-Fresh Antimicrobial Additives Tin Aid

Ultra-Fresh is commonly used by manufacturers of home products to protect materials against the unwanted effects of microbial growth.

Stop-use items such every bit Target shower curtain liners and Novaform memory cream bathmats with Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial technology help keep products gratuitous from stains and odors caused by leaner, mold, and mildew.

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how to get rid of pink mold on shower curtain

Target shower curtain liner treated with Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial technology prevents pinkish staining leaner from growing on the liner.

Check out some of the companies and brands nosotros work with.

How Does Ultra-Fresh Work to Prevent Pink Staining Caused by Bacteria

The photos beneath demonstrate how an antimicrobial treated production prevents staining by bacterial growth from happening.

Ii shower curtain liner samples, one treated with Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial and another without, were tested using ISO 22196.

The same amounts of leaner (Serratia marcescens) were added to each sample and then incubated for 24 hours.

Afterward, both samples were assessed to determine how many leaner were remaining.

Equally seen in the below photos, heavy amounts of pinkish coloured bacteria were recovered from the untreated shower curtain liner sample. In dissimilarity, no leaner were recovered from the antimicrobial treated shower curtain liner.

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Bacteria recovered from untreated shower curtain liner

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No bacteria found on Ultra-Fresh antimicrobial treated shower curtain liner. [su_spacer size="15"]

The chart below demonstrates how an antimicrobial treated shower curtain liner performs over time and after use.

The same number of bacteria were added to a shower curtain with antimicrobial treatment, and also a liner without antimicrobial handling.

Every bit per the ISO 22196 exam method, the samples were incubated for 24 hours at 70F/21C. Afterwards, the number of leaner remaining was adamant.

The bacteria on the untreated shower drapery liner grew exponentially (from virtually 50,000 to almost 500,000!).

However, the Ultra-Fresh treated antimicrobial shower pall liner, had 99.9% fewer bacteria equally compared to the untreated liner afterward the same fourth dimension menstruation.

Therefore, the decision is very simple: fewer bacteria = less pink staining.

The addition of antimicrobial engineering delivers a product that prevents or reduces stains caused by bacterial growth.

Clean or Replace?

In that location comes a betoken in every product's life when no amount of cleaning tin return it to a cleanliness level appropriate for reuse.

If y'all are using a product that does non comprise an antimicrobial, you'll need to throw it out and replace it every and then often, depending on how much it gets used.

If y'all are using an antimicrobial treated product, the cease-use life becomes considerably longer, particularly when cleaned routinely.

An antimicrobial treated production is a huge win for the environment since items are thrown out less frequently due to odours, staining, or cloth breakup.

In addition, since products aren't replaced as often, antimicrobial treated goods are benign to consumers' bank accounts.

Annotation: Ultra-Fresh is non intended to create a healthier environment or to cover upwardly an existing moisture issue in your dwelling house. Antimicrobial product protection prevents odors, staining, and deterioration of the product itself.

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