# Pink mold



## wyld thang

THis is kinda gross and weird, but I decided to google this today and learned more since I thought maybe the pink mold "means something" about a person's health.

okay, in my work as housecleaning I noticed some folks have really bad pink mold in their toilets and showers, and some don't at all. In showers it's usually in a corner where the guy pees regular during a shower. SO I found out it's not mold but a bacteria, which comes from UTIs and wound infections, and once it lands in your shower/toilet it feeds on the fats in shampoo/soap residue and dead skin cells. It can cause respiratory infections, pink eye, etc from re-contact.

You can kill it with bleach and thorough cleaning of all scum once a week(we are cleaning once every two weeks). 

SO, if you HAVE pink mold, you might check out someone in your fam having a UTI. In a SHTF situation, you can see that someone is infected(a wounded person taking a shower) or UTI and deal with it more if you want, or boost the bod's immune response.

SInce I'm the bathroom cleaner and am exposed to this stuff I haven't been infected(repiratory or pink eye etc). I will def from now on scrub it with Comet(abrasive with bleach) and spray the area with a bleach product if the customer has it(per osha we can't carry liquid bleach products). 

I just cleaned a shower where the painters were using it for a toilet--full of pink and the black mold growing on pee splatter. Now I'll see if there is anything to learn from the black pee mold.

Golly, thank God my home stuff has never had this!


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## wyld thang

okay, if you have recurring black mold in your toilet that means you have airflow issues and your house is too shut up and moist and high levels of mold spores(which will cause asthma etc).

This page had instructions for killing it in your toilet
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/41785

but you also need to address the air quality in your home. I'm a fresh air junkie so again, no black mold in my toilets. The doggy door(just a car mat flap over a hole) is just outside in the hall from the downstairs bathroom(bathroom door kept open) and the window is kept open in the upstairs bathroom because the woodstove makes it too hot up there.

Hope this helps! 

I suppose to narrow down who has the UTI you can make one person use one toilet for a few weeks or so and see if it builds up.


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## cnichols

You're right, that is nasty! LOL 

But very informative. We know we have "moisture" issues in our house simply because we aren't home much so it stays closed up alot, so we do on occasion have the black mold growing in our toilet. One of the first things I do when we get home is to open the house and clean the toilet areas with bleach. The thought of exposing my feminine areas to that kinda thing is just ... eww ...


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## seedspreader

I didn't even know there was a pink mold... yikes.


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## JuliaAnn

I've seen it in a shower in a nursing home several years ago where my uncle was. Went down the hall and found one of the housekeeping carts and ransacked it till I found a can of lysol. Cleaned the shower myself, lectured the head nurse on duty.

Absolutely revolting.


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## ChristyACB

Pink mold? Are you serious?


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## wyld thang

well, technically it's pink bacteria, but everyone calls it pink "mold" so I keep reverting. But yeah, the pink mold is actually pink bacteria, and it is also real common in nursing/rehab places. It looks like the pink bacteria is indicative of a person in poor immune health, so if you have it, you might want to look into it?


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## BoldViolet

http://www.edenprairie.org/vCurrent/upload/contents/228/What is the Pink Stuff in my Toilet.pdf

More info.... uhm. I know we're not having UTI's in my house. I AM, however, out of 2000 Flushes.


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## Jakk

Guys pee in the shower?


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## wyld thang

BoldViolet said:


> http://www.edenprairie.org/vCurrent/upload/contents/228/What is the Pink Stuff in my Toilet.pdf
> 
> More info.... uhm. I know we're not having UTI's in my house. I AM, however, out of 2000 Flushes.


great article!

just some observations, I'm on a well, so no chlorine in my water(or any other kind of chemical treatment), unless it's when we pour bleach down the well for the iron bacteria(which isn't often), and we've never had the pink bacteria. 

the two people with the worst pink problem, one has been on chemo for cancer and the other is a diabetic, both conditions with comprimised immune systems. Their guest baths, which I know the diabetic never uses, don't have the pink.

(ie, the article says pink basically comes from filtering out chlorine from water)

I'll keep more track of pink in people's toilets haha. Sorry, this kind of stuff interests me, health conditions you can tell by odd little things, like your fingernails can tell many ailments.

and btw, if you get toothpaste on your faucet, clean it off right away, or it will corrode it.


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## wyld thang

Jakk said:


> Guys pee in the shower?


yes they do. all of them.


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## wyld thang

PS regarding the UTI, my thinking is that it's not specifically a UTI, but rather the bacteria is one of those that cause UTIs, as well as pink eye, respiratory infections, wound stuff--like staph it's a bacteria that is a around and in a person whose immune system is comprimised(elderly, diabetic, hiv, cancer etc), not able to effectively fight off that bacteria enough, it can get multiplied and out of balance. Same idea as yeast infections, etc, the balance of bacteria is off.

In any case, the appears pink bacteria gets into your toilet from someone peeing into it to deliver it.


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## Sweetsurrender

Bacteria loves sugar so I can see the diabetic connection.


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## Ernie

wyld thang said:


> yes they do. all of them.


You've showered with all of them, have you?


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## wyld thang

Ernie said:


> You've showered with all of them, have you?


wouldn't you like to know


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## puddlejumper007

ok gloves and a mask when cleaning.....and you deserve a raise...


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## seedspreader

wyld thang said:


> wouldn't you like to know


Hey now, let's not start any rumors. I've showered many times before, and I'm pretty certain you weren't in any of them. I do have a few from my college days I don't necessarily remember... 

Were you ever in Ohio in the early 90's?


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## Peacock

Interesting. In our tub we get the pink stuff in the jacuzzi jets, right underneath the jet part in the hollow. We never use the tub for baths, just showers. Zapping it with bleach spray takes care of it.


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## DaveMac

The pink bacteria doesn't come from UTI's or wounds. It is air borne. An causes Uti's and wound infections. The rest I saw appears correct.
Also to writer who "lectured the head nurse", all you did was vent your feelings to the wrong person and cause them to become upset and mess up everyone's day in the home. The Lysol was a waste of time unless you scrubbed all the mold off first with bleach. I only say this because I am was a Infection Control Nurse for a few years.


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## logbuilder

Seems to me that if you see this, it is a good indication that you need to clean your toilet or shower more often. Nothing more.


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## HermitJohn

seedspreader said:


> I didn't even know there was a pink mold... yikes.



Now available in new bold decorator colors....


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## seedspreader

HermitJohn said:


> Now available in new bold decorator colors....


I'm holding out for something in a neon purple.


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## Ernie

As long as I don't see it growing on ME then I'm fine.


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## BoldViolet

I am seriously cracking up from the replies in this thread.


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## Aintlifegrand

wyld thang said:


> THis is kinda gross and weird, but I decided to google this today and learned more since I thought maybe the pink mold "means something" about a person's health.
> 
> okay, in my work as housecleaning I noticed some folks have really bad pink mold in their toilets and showers, and some don't at all. In showers it's usually in a corner where the guy pees regular during a shower. SO I found out it's not mold but a bacteria, which comes from UTIs and wound infections, and once it lands in your shower/toilet it feeds on the fats in shampoo/soap residue and dead skin cells. It can cause respiratory infections, pink eye, etc from re-contact.
> 
> You can kill it with bleach and thorough cleaning of all scum once a week(we are cleaning once every two weeks).
> 
> SO, if you HAVE pink mold, you might check out someone in your fam having a UTI. In a SHTF situation, you can see that someone is infected(a wounded person taking a shower) or UTI and deal with it more if you want, or boost the bod's immune response.
> 
> SInce I'm the bathroom cleaner and am exposed to this stuff I haven't been infected(repiratory or pink eye etc). I will def from now on scrub it with Comet(abrasive with bleach) and spray the area with a bleach product if the customer has it(*per osha we can't carry liquid bleach products).*
> 
> I just cleaned a shower where the painters were using it for a toilet--full of pink and the black mold growing on pee splatter. Now I'll see if there is anything to learn from the black pee mold.
> 
> Golly, thank God my home stuff has never had this!


Why not? What is the reg? If it is labeled effectively with proper MSDS what would be the issue?

Also you can use a product like Dispatch ( does have bleach as an ingredient)... it has a one second kill time.. labs/hospitals use it.
and it kills lots of uglies in bathrooms..

I keep some here because in a survival situation it would be great when keeping things disenfected means less illnesses mean less leaving the homestead in search of medical help...


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## Harry Chickpea

When I first started in the theatre business, it was common to see the mixer nozzles on the Coke machines have this pink bacteria on them. We quickly started soaking them in a bleach/water solution overnight. You don' wanna know what comes out of the drain pipes from the overflow tray when they get flushed.


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## wyld thang

WOrkers, at least in housecleaning/maid service,per our states osha, can't carry ammonia and liquid bleach together. Another practicality/liability issue is spilling liquid bleach, someone spills and ruins a carpet, WE have to pay to replace the whole carpet. If the client provides the liquid bleach product(some do), we can use it(with proper training). WE WILL NOT carry a liquid bleach product across carpet either(again, saves our butts on spilling), the client places the product in the room to be used--which this gives the client peace of mind because they know we aren't traipsing around the house with bleach. 

Of course bleach and bleach products are good to use to kill things, and it works. But if bacteria gets redeposited and air flow/humidity etc issues aren't fixed the bacteria/mold will grow back.


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## wyld thang

supposedly the soda machines are the worst places for bacteria, fecal matter, etc. I'm sure people spit in the trays too ick


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## Shrarvrs88

yup. Never getting a pop again. BLECH. 

I agree that if NYTHING is growing in your shower/toilet, you likely should have cleaned it more often.


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## Cabin Fever

I feel a bit embarassed asking because it seems like everyone else knows, but what is a UTI?


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## tab

Ruh-oh, had a squash go bad and it had pink and black spots on it. I know nobody peed on it and air flow is a liitle too free where it was stored. Wonder what that means {evil grin} ? Zombie squash?


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## hsmom2four

Cabin Fever said:


> I feel a bit embarassed asking because it seems like everyone else knows, but what is a UTI?


Urinary Tract Infection.


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## Cabin Fever

hsmom2four said:


> Urinary Tract Infection.


Really? Guess I've never had one. In fact, I've only known women to have them.


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## tab

Many of us know the uti from experience. Good thing if you do not know what it is!


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## kasilofhome

Cabin, due to the phyical difference between males and female it is more often a female issue. The human body tends to fight the infection and (let's see if I can share the infor and not get in trouble) The shorter the Urinary Tract the less defence is avalidable to fight it. Most female tend to have a shorter urinary track then men.

What I find interesting is Wyld is on to something because if it is harder for a male to have an UTI and males are the focas of the source of the pink growth it would stand to reason that a male in a weaken condition would be at greater risk than a healthy male. 

Could there be another high risk source besides pee?


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## Harry Chickpea

The soft drink machines are constructed so that if the mixer nozzles are kept clean, the drink is fine. The danger actually lies in the ice. Once the ice is made, it falls into a bin. Employees then scoop out the ice and put it in the ice chests. The bins themselves rarely get cleaned, and employees use them to keep their own stuff cold. I've found old food, lots of cans of beer, and other items in some places.


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## cast iron

wyld thang said:


> yes they do. all of them.


Guess I missed the memo on this.


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## Ernie

kasilofhome said:


> Cabin, due to the phyical difference between males and female it is more often a female issue. The human body tends to fight the infection and (let's see if I can share the infor and not get in trouble) The shorter the Urinary Tract the less defence is avalidable to fight it. Most female tend to have a shorter urinary track then men.
> 
> What I find interesting is Wyld is on to something because if it is harder for a male to have an UTI and males are the focas of the source of the pink growth it would stand to reason that a male in a weaken condition would be at greater risk than a healthy male.
> 
> Could there be another high risk source besides pee?


It could also be that while the OP is good at cleaning pink mold, the internet research done was less than accurate.


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## Ed Norman

Cabin Fever said:


> I feel a bit embarassed asking because it seems like everyone else knows, but what is a UTI?


This explains it all:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_mz5vCrMb8[/ame]

I see it on TV constantly.


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## wyld thang

It's really easy for guys(or women too) to get UTI's from having a catheter put in. My husband did get a UTI this way. I think basically the tube scrapes the wall and makes it raw and the bacteria stick and fester easier.


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## beaglebiz

see this
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PV6dTr3DhZw&feature=related[/ame]


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## sewserious

There are some areas of the country where this "pink" mold is seen more than others. When I lived in the Charlotte area, we had this stuff grow in our toilets, tubs, etc within two days of cleaning (and yes we had good air flow, not that I am so sure that is a factor). Flash forward and we moved to the Greenville SC area. I have never, in my 6 years here, seen pink mold in my toilet much less my tubs or other areas. I would take the OPs resources with a grain of salt.


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## jwal10

I ran a municipal water system, the bacteria is in the surface water. We had a waterplant and kept a chlorine level of 1ppm and added ammonia to make chloramines to hold the chlorine stable and still saw it in places. Mobile home parks were the worst as we sold them water wholesale and they would not blow off their lines to keep the water fresh, it would grow in the pipes as the water aged. Dead end and large waterlines need flushed regularly, also water that ages in storage tanks is more affected. Most of our complaints came from the sink drain and toilet areas but also anywhere water was left to get warm, pet dishes, coffee makers, etc. It shows up where the chlorine is exposed to the air or contaminates, the chlorine disapates and the bacteria gets a foothold. More so where the water gets hot and the chlorine disapates into the air quicker. Chlorine works best in cold water and disapates slower. Summertime is when it shows up more, heat and humidity. When we got complaints and went to look it was almost always evident that the people had poor hygene and didn't keep things cleaned often enough....James


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## jwal10

Wild Thang, do you see it more on "city" water than well water? Our system was identical to McMinnville's system, just much smaller. We both had a raw water reservoir. I was at the opening ceremonies after McMinnville's big upgrade last summer....James


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## therunbunch

Super gross but thanks for sharing. Still trying to get over people using a shower for a urinal. GAG.


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## wyld thang

jwal, this would be the Beaverton Water District(whatever it's called). SO, basically all my houses are on the same city water supply. 

I'll keep making observations today I noticed that in houses where the couple had separate sinks, and shared a shower, toilet, that one person had no pink in the sink and one person did, and there was pink in the shower and toilet. IE, non-shared recepticles receiving bodily fluids appear to have or not have the bacteria(and I KNOW these aren't cleaned except by me).

I'm sure of course chlorine content in the water and frequency of cleaning makes a diff. ANyways, just an idea that came to me as I've been cleaning LOTS of bathrooms. Here is the name of the bacteria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serratia_marcescens
I hardly think all the medical sites(which is where I read about it) are "suspect" sources? 

Squash person--there is pink fungus. and I'm sure actual pink mold.


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