Dr Karan Rajan has warned about the pink slime you can find in parts of your home – especially bathrooms.
It’s not just unsightly, it could also pose serious health risks if you’re not careful. The healthcare expert took to TikTok to warn the world after a student was seemingly hospitalised after contact with a bright-pink substance.
This alarming pink residue, often dismissed by many, isn’t mould at all but a swarm of Serratia Marcescens bacteria, which trhives in the damp environments in bathrooms and feeds off the fatty residue left by soap and shampoo.
The bacteria can be particularly harmful for those with compromised immune systems who might suffer gut, urine or chest infections from contact with these germs.
He raised an even more stark warning for households plagued by this pink invader, adding: “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.”
Black mould is just as dangerous – as the spores it produces can lead to serious health risks. A collaborative report by the Department of Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, Health & Social Care, and the UK Health Security Agency has alarmingly linked respiratory complications associated with damp and mould to severe illness and in the worst cases even deaths.
Highlighted symptoms in the report include a cough, wheezing, and breathlessness, an elevated chance of respiratory infections such as aspergillosis, and the onset or exacerbation of allergic airway diseases like rhinitis, asthma, and inflammatory conditions encompassing bronchitis and COPD.
Despite the dangers, Dr Rajan clarifies that pink goo and mould won’t be serious for most. You just need to know how to approach it.
The doctor gave some simple tips for keeping safe, adding: “For the average person it’s pretty harmless even if you come into contact with it, but you still want to avoid getting it into your eyes or open wounds”.
In terms of prevention, he states: “The first rule of pink slime club is to keep the bacteria forming in the first place, by curbing its growth you’ll be preventing other dangerous moulds from forming as well.”
The three key tips are: firstly, ensure your showers are dry and well-ventilated; secondly, use an exhaust fan or open a window post-shower to maintain low humidity levels; and thirdly, make sure to clean and disinfect your bathroom regularly.