Jess Hardiman
Keeping bathrooms clean is arguably one of the hardest household jobs, given just how much wear and tear they regularly go through - and how much moisture they tend to accumulate.
But there’s one particular thing to look out for while on scrubbing duties, as it’s something that tends to lurk in this room more than any other.
If you’ve ever seen some pink residue in your sink or shower, you may have found yourself wondering if you have any brightly-coloured soap or shampoo that you’ve forgotten about.
But the reality of what the substance really is isn’t quite so comforting.
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Posting about the ‘pink slime’ issue on TikTok, Dr Karan Raj asked: “Do you have this pinkish mould growing in your bathroom or on your shower curtain?”
Raj went on to explain that it’s not actually mould, but it is something equally concerning.
“If you’ve seen this pink slime lurking in your bathroom, it’s not mould,” he began.
“It’s bacteria - specifically one called Serratia marcescens, and it vomits hot pink all over your bathroom.”
According to a 2013 paper published in the National Library of Medicine, Serratia marcescens is an ‘opportunistic, gram-negative, nosocomial pathogen’, which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family.
It was first discovered by Italian pharmacist Bartolomeo Bizio back in in 1819, when he identified it as a ‘cause of the bloody discolouration on cornmeal mush’.
Raj continued: “This bacteria loves damp, moist places and enjoys munching on fatty deposits like those found in soaps and shampoos, hence why it likes to hang out in your steamy bathroom.
“For the average person, it’s pretty harmless even if you come into contact with it, but you still wanna avoid getting it in your eyes or open wounds.
“However, it can cause gut, urine or chest infections in those who are immunocompromised.”
“If your home has enough damp for pink slime to consistently develop, you could actually be growing other things as well, like actual household moulds, which could be causing respiratory issues or allergies.”
As for how to keep it at bay, he said there are a number of things you can be doing.
“The first rule of Pink Slime Club is to keep the bacteria forming in the first place,” he said.
“By curbing its growth, you’ll be preventing other dangerous moulds from forming as well.
“Keep your shower dry and well-ventilated. Put on an exhaust fan or open a window after showering to keep humidity levels low.
“And regularly clean and disinfect your bathroom - it's filthier than you think.”