Experts say you should clean your shower and tub once a week. But even with routine scouring of these areas, you’ve noticed something: pink mold.
Interestingly, pink mold isn’t mold at all. Instead, it’s a type of bacteria called Serratia marcescens, a species that feeds on soap scum, mineral deposits from water and the fatty residue from your shampoo.
The good news is, pink mold is harmless. But pink mold in the shower or on the shower curtain doesn’t look good. That’s why you want to give your bathroom a good cleaning — and say goodbye to the rosy residue for good.
Here’s how to do it.
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Scrub It With Baking Soda
Unfortunately, a tile and grout cleaning machine will restore floors to a shine. For your shower or bathroom walls, however, you will have to tackle your pink mold with a bit of elbow grease.
Mix a tablespoon of dish soap with a quarter-cup of baking soda, then scrub the grout with it and a bristled brush. As you do so, you should wear protective gear, including a respirator. It will protect your lungs as the bacteria starts to loosen.
With vigorous scrubbing, you should be able to get rid of the pink mold on your own. Rinse away the bacteria and enjoy your sparkling shower or tub.
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Disinfect After You Finish
Even though you’ve scrubbed away the pink mold, there could still be bacteria lingering — which means it will eventually grow back.
So, once you’ve finished step one, you’ll need to disinfect your shower. The best tool for doing so is bleach: pour six ounces of powdered bleach into a 12-ounce spray bottle, then fill the rest with warm water.
Shake up the mixture, then spray it over the spots where pink mold once grew. Let it sit and work its magic for 10 minutes, then scrub with the soft-bristled brush again.
Finish by rinsing away the bleach, then wiping down the area with a towel.
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Sanitize Your Linens
The last step in the pink mold-removal process is sanitizing your shower curtains.
Check the care label on the fabric before throwing it in the washing machine. If you can wash it on a warm, gentle cycle, then your curtain will be cleaned and sanitized. Admittedly, this step is a lot less involved than the above two.
If your shower curtain isn’t dryer-safe, let it hang outdoors — preferably in the sunshine — so it can dry. Even if your pink mold doesn’t return, repeat this process every month to keep pink mold at bay. And, if the pink bacteria or any other mold sticks around after a wash-and-dry cycle, then it’s time to throw away your shower curtain.
Prevent Pink Mold For Good
It will only take you a few steps and a bit of elbow grease to rid your bathroom of pink mold. In the end, though, you’ll have a cleaner, safer bathroom — and that’s what matters most.
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