Pink slime or residue in your sink or shower, along the rim of your toilet, or even inside your pet’s water dish is very common. The biggest misconception surrounding pink slime is that it’s caused by a type of mold. It is NOT mold.
Pink slime or residue is most frequently caused by an airborne bacterium called Serratia marcescens.[1] S. marcescens is found everywhere in the world and thrives extremely well in damp environments. The bacteria grow well on materials containing phosphorus or fatty substances (such as feces in your toilet bowl, or soap residue in your shower)–which makes your bathroom its ideal environment.
This means you’re not actually dealing with a water contaminant, but an air quality contaminant. Because Serratia marcescens forms a pink/red biofilm at room temperature people often mistake it as a water quality issue, most often thinking it is from iron in the water.
So, the first mistake people make is to think water treatment equipment will solve the problem. Serratia marcescens transports by air, not by water, so water filters won’t likely help solve the problem.
If it’s not water, how do you get rid of Serratia marcescens?”
How Do I Get Rid of Serratia Marcescens?
The name of the game when it comes to pink slime and S. marcescens is “management,” rather than elimination. Unfortunately, no matter how much you clean, S. marcescens is so abundant that getting rid of its pink slime very difficult.
Here are the best steps you can take to reduce the amount of pink slime that appears in your bathroom are:
- Ventilate the room during and after a shower for at least 30 minutes
- Use an after-shower spray or squeegee to remove soap residue in your shower and tub
- Limit the amount of moisture and soap scum you leave on surfaces
If you are already faced with the nuisance of pink slime, here’s how you can “get rid of it”:
- Make a one-part vinegar and one-part water solution.
- Spray the mixture onto the pink slime that has already left its mark.
- Let soak for 10 minutes.
- Scrub away the bacteria.
You can also use a bleach solution, but make sure you have plenty of good ventilation.
Be aware, however: it’s very likely that the pink slime will re-grow. It may be only just a matter of weeks before it reappears.
A couple of other things to note: Serratia bacteria does not survive well in chlorinated drinking water. However, because chlorine is a volatile compound, if water stands long enough for residual chlorine to dissipate (i.e a toilet or on a shower curtain), the pink slime may develop.
People who remove chlorine from their water by the use of a quality water filter may be more likely to encounter pink slime.
Additionally, the problem occurs more often when temperatures and humidity are higher.
Because Serratia marcescens can be stirred up during yardwork or construction, it is highly recommended that you take extra precaution to keep windows closed during these periods.
Is Serratia marcescens Dangerous?
While the bad news is that it is nearly impossible to eliminate, those pink, slimy rings are harmless (unless you are in extremely poor health).
While in very rare cases, Serratia marcescens has been deadly–for most folks, Serratia marcescens poses almost no health risks. The scary, pink slime horror stories found on the internet are mostly in relation to hospital-acquired infections (which may occur if the patient’s immune system is severely compromised and the bacteria enters parts of the body that should be sterile, such as the lungs, blood or brain).
Finally, consider adding a quality air filter to your bathroom.
Contact the experts at Carico to assist you with improving your indoor environment. In our 50+ years in business, we’ve encountered and solved nearly any problem you encounter.
