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Imagine stepping into your bathroom for a nice hot shower and seeing a pink layer covering various surfaces - isn't that horrifying and frustrating?
Be it black mold on the ceiling or walls or pink mold on the ceiling in the bathroom, mold is always an issue. Bathrooms and showers have a humid and moist environment that is ideal for mildew and mold colonies. In addition, mold grows more easily in uncleaned areas as it provides a medium for them to latch on to.
For this reason, homeowners need to create a cleaning schedule that not only prevents mold issues but also cleans the spores in cramped parts of the bathroom, ranging from drains to corners and tile grout. Coming back to the point, if there is pink mold on the bathroom ceiling or walls, let's find out how you can remove it!
Unlike black mold, pink mold is not actually mold but an airborne bacteria known as Serratia marcescens. This bacteria grows on the bathroom floor, covers the grout, and hangs on the shower curtains' bottom edge and around the toilet water line.
This mold issue can happen anywhere in your home but is more common in the bathroom as it needs water or a moist environment to thrive. In addition, these airborne spores feed off the mineral deposits and fat from the shampoo and soap, which leads to its growth. In general, it doesn't make people sick, but it can enter the body through open wounds and eyes and cause various issues, depending on the immune system's strength.
For this reason, it's recommended that you talk to mold testing experts or hire an inspection service, as they can tell you the best way to deal with this problem. However, if you don't mind cleaning yourself, using household cleaners on the bathroom floor and curtains will be sufficient.
Mold is a fungal growth produced by a specific type of fungi. These are very similar to dust, and the presence of color is due to the emergence of the specific type of spores consisting of fungal secondary metabolites. These are typically components of fungi, but not all fungi can result in mold.
Mold requires moisture in the environment and some organic materials to form and thrive. Places like foundations, roofs, the overspill of washing machines, and those areas prone to flooding are the most common places for mold to grow.
Similarly, pink mold growing inside bathroom walls is a type of bacteria. It is imperative to understand what mold is. The mold in a home or bathroom can be green, black, or various other colors. Some types of mold produce toxic particles, known as mycotoxins, which can lead to health problems. However, this mold growth occurs if there are competing bacteria or fungi consuming and producing the metabolites.
There is a common misconception that mycotoxins produced by green or black mold can make you sick and cause serious health problems, such as nosebleeds, headaches, body aches, memory loss, and mood swings. However, no research backs these potential health problems. But this doesn't mean you don't need to perform a mold cleanup.
Mycotoxins have long-term side effects, such as depression and Parkinson's disease, so hiring a professional team of testing experts or inspection services to help you with the mold removal is always a good decision. Also, the professionals can offer mold cleanup at an affordable cost to keep your home safe and healthy.
In most cases, mold develops underneath surfaces like drywall, and it's usually too late once you see visible mold. The pink mold tends to be lighter in appearance in the beginning and is easily cleanable. However, the dark brown, gray, or black mold has a wooly texture. While the blue, green, and white mold have a slimy or fuzzy texture.
Contrary to common belief, the mildew or mold growing on the tile grout or shower doesn't have a rotting smell. However, the severe or mild growth on ceilings and walls can lead to fermented cheese and a rotting wood smell. In most cases, this smell develops after the growth becomes significant.
Pink mold is not at all harmful to humans and coming in contact with it usually doesn't cause any health issues. However, there are some rare cases when it can cause an infection. In addition, it doesn't look attractive, so let's see how you can remove the pink mold in your bathroom;
To clean the doors and walls, you can make a cleaning paste with one tablespoon of dishwashing soap and ¼ cup of baking soda. Once the paste is prepared, you can use a soft-bristled brush to apply this to the affected area and scrub off the bacteria. When the pink film is removed, spray water and bleach to disinfect the area so that no signs or particles of mold are left.
To clean the liners and shower curtains, you have to make a spray with 50% bleach and 50% water and apply it to the pink spots on the liner and curtain. Then, let the spray sit on the liner and curtain for ten minutes and clean them in a washing machine. In addition, you can use laundry detergent and a tablespoon of bleach to wash the liner and curtain. Once the washing cycle is complete, hang them to dry.
These hard surfaces can be cleaned with baking soda and dishwashing soap paste and then disinfected with a bleach and water mixture. If your tiles are made from natural stone, we recommend using a bleach and water solution. Also, you shouldn't bleach the tiles too often!
The best way of preventing mold growth in the bathroom is to clean your bathroom regularly. In addition, you must clean the soap scum because it feeds bacteria. You must also keep the bathroom adequately ventilated and dry to prevent bacterial growth - you can use the exhaust fan to remove the shower steam. Last but not least, use a squeegee to dry your shower walls!
Let's discuss some essential FAQs related to the pink mold:
Pink mold develops in the bathroom sink drains because of the moisture. Serratia marcescens is a water-borne bacteria that needs water to thrive. For this reason, it can also develop in kitchens.
Mold development is expected in moist environments, but that doesn't make it safe for your health. Mold produces spores and releases them into the air, which can cause respiratory or breathing issues when inhaled.
Pink mold can easily be cleaned with the help of a dishwashing liquid and baking soda solution. You can apply it to the pink film on the tiles, walls, and ceiling and scrub it off with a soft-bristled brush.
Mold grows on bathroom ceilings because of the moisture that's not removed from the bathroom. In particular, steam from bathtubs and showers can rise to the ceiling and moisten it. So, when the bathroom isn't ventilated, the moisture lingers and results in mold growth. For this reason, you should ensure your bathroom is properly ventilated.
The mold can harm your health, and inhaling its spores can cause respiratory issues or headaches. In addition, people with weak immune systems are more likely to develop mold allergies.
The easiest way of getting rid of mold is to prepare a mixture of bleach and water solution, but make sure you use paste made from baking soda and liquid dishwashing soap to clean the mold. As far as the bleach solution is concerned, it's suitable for disinfecting the bathroom.
Pink mold can be hazardous to people with weaker immune systems, so proper removal and prevention techniques are essential. However, rather than using DIY methods, it's recommended that you hire O2 Mold Testing, as we offer professional mold testing and inspection services. We offer mold testing for indoor and outdoor locations (surface and air tests) and will create a customized mold removal plan, depending on the severity of the mold and mildew growth. In addition, we have a team of experienced technicians and professional equipment. Last but not least, we are fully licensed and insured, so your home is in safe hands!