When you climb into your shower and see moldy pink slime all around you, you may jump back out in a moment of panic. It’s important to note that even though most people call this mold, it’s actually a pink mildew. Of course, not being actual mold doesn’t make it any less gross. Fortunately, figuring out how to get rid of pink mold in the shower isn’t a difficult process, as you only need to follow a few steps using common household ingredients.
Prepping to Get Rid of Pink Mold
We would not recommend tackling the steps required for how to get rid of pink mold in a shower without taking some minor precautions. You should put on rubber gloves and clothing that covers most of your skin. We recommend safety goggles, too.
You don’t want to make contact with pink mold, as it could make you sick through infection if it penetrates your skin through an open wound or cut. It also can cause an infection in the eye through contact.
Mix Your Ingredients
In a small bucket, mix baking soda and dish soap in a 4-to-1 ratio. If you have a small amount of pink mold in the shower that you need to get rid of, 1/2 a cup of baking soda and 2 tablespoons of dish soap should do the trick. For a larger collection of the pink filmy layer, try 2 cups of baking soda and half a cup of dish soap. Mix it thoroughly.
Apply the Solution Directly to the Pink Mold
Photo: Barry Austin Photography / The Image Bank / Getty Images
Use the bristles on the scrub brush to spread the dish soap and baking soda mixture directly onto any areas of the shower with pink mold. Use vertical, horizontal, and circular brush strokes to be certain you are making contact with all of the filmy substance.
If your shower wall has tile and grout, you want to be certain the bristles are reaching all areas of the grout, as pink mold often grows in these areas first. You may want to use an old toothbrush to move into the grout lines or into tight corners.
After finishing, use hot water to wash the bristles on the brush for a few minutes, removing any traces of the pink mold stuck to the bristles.
Rinse the Pink Mold Away
If you have a removable shower head, you can use this to rinse the areas that you scrubbed. The scrubbing should loosen the pink film, and rinsing it should wash it toward the shower drain.
If you don’t have a removable shower head, you can splash the area with clean water from another bucket. You could also use a wet sponge to pull the pink mold away.
After rinsing the area, take another few minutes to inspect the entire interior of the shower for any additional pink mold. If you find some, repeat steps two and three. Pink mold commonly grows in corners and where two objects meet, such as the showerhead and the wall, or along a sliding shower door track.
Wash the Shower Curtain and Liner
Photo: Emilija Manevska / Moment / Getty Images
Pink mold may appear in the folds of a shower curtain and liner. The best way to clean these items is to place them in a washing machine with laundry detergent that kills bacteria. You also could just replace them.
Don’t place them in the dryer after washing them, as you can rehang them while wet.
Disinfect the Entire Shower
Use a disinfectant spray across the interior of the shower. Any commercial mold and mildew cleaning product should do the job.
You could also mix white vinegar and water, using a 1-to-1 ratio, in a spray bottle to disinfect the shower surfaces. Does vinegar kill mold and mildew? Yes, and it’s a highly effective option that may save you some money versus buying a branded product.
Allow the disinfectant solution to sit for at least 10 minutes. Inspect the shower one more time and look for any noticeable stains or spots. Use the scrub brush and more disinfectant spray to attack these areas. Then rinse the entire interior of the shower with hot water.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Although you could hire a local mold removal pro to take care of this problem, most people can take the steps for how to get rid of pink mold in a shower themselves. The process just requires some basic cleaning skills.
Now, if you are unsure whether you are seeing pink mold—which is mildew—or some other form of actual mold, you may want to call a local mold inspector. Mold can appear in many different colors and textures. You certainly don’t want to try to clean dangerous black mold on your own, for example.
Even if it’s not a dangerous type of mold, you still may want to call a pro. It’s perfectly understandable to be leery of tackling any mold problem on your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are wondering how to get rid of mold in your shower or bathroom, substances like dish soap, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and rubbing alcohol all can potentially do the job. You also could create a mixture of bleach and water to remove the mold, but be very careful never to mix bleach with other cleaning agents. Only mix bleach with water. Exposing bleach to other cleansers could cause a release of extremely dangerous chlorine gas.
The pink mold appears because of the presence of a naturally occurring airborne bacteria called serratia marcescens. When this bacteria lands on a moist surface, it multiplies, creating the pink film. To reduce the ability of this bacteria to multiply, use a bathroom exhaust fan to reduce humidity in the bathroom. Regularly clean the interior of the shower with a disinfectant as well.
If you prefer not to use a commercial cleaning product on your pink mold issue, or on other types of mold you are seeing in your bathroom, there are some natural mold killer products that you can use. You can try substances that you may already have in your home, like vinegar, tea tree oil, hydrogen peroxide, lemon juice, and baking soda.
Kyle Schurman has a passion for writing about topics ranging from home improvement to consumer electronics. His writing appears in online publications like Business Insider, New York Magazine, Scary Mommy, and multiple Tribune Publishing websites.
Kyle Schurman has a passion for writing about topics ranging from home improvement to consumer electronics. His writing appears in online publications like Business Insider, New York Magazine, Scary Mommy, and multiple Tribune Publishing websites.
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