FYI - Toilet stains

Pink stains inside a toilet bowl are usually caused by a type of airborne bacteria called Serratia marcescens. It’s not actually mould, and the colour can range from light pink to orange, salmon, or even reddish. 🦠

This bacterium thrives in damp places and feeds on fatty deposits such as:

• Soap residue
• Shampoo splashes
• Body oils
• Mineral deposits in the water

Bathrooms are ideal environments because they’re warm and humid.

A few common reasons it shows up more often:

• The toilet isn’t flushed frequently
• Hard water or mineral-rich water
• Poor bathroom ventilation
• Humid weather
• Residue building up under the rim or at the water line

Usually it’s harmless to healthy people, but it can occasionally cause infections in people with weakened immune systems, so it’s best not to ignore heavy growth.

To remove it:

1. Put on gloves.
2. Use a toilet cleaner or diluted bleach solution.
3. Scrub especially under the rim and around the water line.
4. Let the cleaner sit for several minutes before flushing.

To help prevent it:

• Clean the toilet weekly
• Run the bathroom fan or improve ventilation
• Flush toilets regularly
• Fix leaks or standing moisture
• Use a toilet brush under the rim where bacteria hide

If the stain is more brown, black, or blue-green instead of pink, that can point to minerals, mould, or metals in the water rather than Serratia.

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model