What It Means If You See Pink Slime in Your Bathroom

just picture it: you are in the bathroom, perhaps brushing your teeth, or maybe you are just being, and suddenly you look over and see it. Something…pink? Not bubble gum pink. More like strange, slimy streaky pink, by the drain. Or maybe the bottom edge of the shower curtain. Or even in that little hidey hole where the tub and tile meet. You know the one.

It looks gross. Kind of like someone spilled Pepto-Bismol and forgot to clean it. But no, it isn’t some sort of forgotten spill. It is bacteria. Actual bacteria — that goes by the name Serratia marcescens (which sounds like it should be the name of the villain in a ’90s video game), but no, it is just… pink bathroom slime.

So what in the world is this stuff?

Well, it turns out, this bacteria thrives in damp areas (ahem, bathroom), and feeds on soap scum, shampoo residue, perhaps that leftover conditioner you hate, but keep using anyway. Basically, anything kind of sticky and kind of damp is a five-star resort for this bacteria, and when it arrives, it’s not going to just leave.

If you are on city water, though, then you have a secret weapon working in your favor — chlorine. That magical, nose-burning, bleachy substance that city water provides? It does a great job of killing off this pink slime before it gets all over your shower tiles, but you’re not immune. It just means it’s a little less fervent about multiplying.

Okay, but is it something to worry about?

Eh, yes and no. If you are generally healthy, it is probably more of an annoyance than anything else. But if you or someone in the house has a compromised immune system, it is not nothing. Serratia has been referenced in terms of infection — urinary tract infection, pneumonia, that water. So yeah, worth dealing with even if you’re just grossed out, not necessarily at risk.

So how do you get rid of it?

You don’t have to put on hazmat gear but you do need bleach. Honestly, run-of-the-mill chlorine bleach is probably your best friend. Here is the deal:

Mix some general-purpose cleaner with some bleach (don’t eyeball the bleach, check the label, ok; this way you do not gas yourself).

Saturate the pink areas with your concoction and… leave it alone. Don’t rush it. Let it sit for a couple of minutes.

Then take a soft brush or rag and scrub it off.

Rinse with intention. Nobody wants bleach lingering.

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