The bad news is that slimy anaerobic bacteria called serratia marcescens cause this ring.
Pink ring in toilet bowl.
Pink stains in your toilet bowl the bacteria serratia marcescens causes pink stains.
Thoroughly clean the bowl and then spray it with chlorine bleach.
The airborne bacteria thrive on moisture dust and phosphates.
It probably isn t rust or a mineral.
Customers have asked us why there is a pink ring in their toilet bowl and what can they do to get rid of it.
Let it sit in the bowl for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Each year a few customers call to ask us about pink stains or residues that occasionally develop in moist areas in their homes.
This pink ring has been confused with iron containing hard water which produces an orange rust colored ring discussed below.
However the pink ring that develops at the water line in the toilet around drains in the tub shower area and in bathroom drinking cups is actually caused by an airborne bacteria known as serratia marcescens.
This bacteria isn t as harmless as it was once thought to be but it isn t a cause for alarm either.
Toilets often develop a pink or slightly orange ring around the bowl right at the water line especially if the toilet is rarely used.
The airborne bacteria thrive in moist environments which is why it is commonly found in bathrooms.
Spray a non bleach toilet bowl foam around the.
Click on image for better view.
Pour 1 cup of bleach or white vinegar into your toilet bowl and let it sit for 15 minutes if you are trying to get rid of a mold or bacterial ring.
But you re not alone.
The bacteria that causes these pink stains is serratia marcescens which is found naturally in the environment.
Pink bathroom stains are fairly common.
You should also put about a 1 4 cup in your toilet s tank at the same time.
Often they are concerned that something must be in the water.
That ring of pink slime around your toilet bowl is a far cry from the squeaky clean look you re going for.
For example serratia marcescens is a bacterial species common to bathtubs showers and toilets and characterized by a pink ring.
That pink ring in the toilet just above the water line could be caused by minerals in the water but more likely it s from a colony of the airborne bacteria serratia marcescens.
However the pink ring that develops at the water line in the toilet around drains in the tub shower area in bathroom drinking cups and even dog bowls is actually caused by airborne bacteria known as serratia marcescens.