So there is recipe for Dawn + vinegar that has been floting around for a while I did mix this up to see how it worked I found it left a residue so required major rinsing and not great IMO, I do not like frangrance in most cleaning and laundry products . BTW Dawn is great grease fighter how much grease you get in your shower IMO is pretty minimal.I use vinegar a lot for cleaning and where I need a bit more I use Mrs Myers Clean Day. The 2 scents it comes in are are lemon and lavender I love the lemon the lavender is IMO too strong . I like my house to just be really clean no scents at all if possible . I buy the concentrate since it is nice to be able to choose how much cleaner I really need . I think it is available in many scents but my store just carries the 2 . I use it ful strength to clean my oven everytime I use it since I do not like using the high temp oven cleaner .

What's the issue with your shower? Is it hard water stains? The pebbly floor that grabs onto grime? Grout staining?

There is an on line article called ”13 ways to use hydrogin peroxide” which references glass, but also for use in bathrooms in general. It’s mixed with baking soda, so allergies wouldn’t be a concern.

My shower water seems to leave pink-ish stains on the grout and caulk. I'm religious about squeezing after each shower, but it still gets bad. I use all natural cleaners - which really don't work as well as other cleaners but breathing is a priority! I think the cleaning woman thought of the Dawn because it is a DIY type thing and my guess is she thought it was not a bad chemical product.

I too have read about hydrogen peroxide, though to use it sparingly and not for regular cleaning because it can cause pitting in grout, which in turn creates more areas for mold to get trapped.

@BeverlyFLADeziner - Unfortunately the free & clear Dawn is scented. Ridiculous. @Patricia Colwell Consulting Mrs. Meyers products trigger my asthma. I can't use them.

Pink stains are MOLD.

Gross and interesting. Does anyone have an unscented cleaning product they recommend that actually works for removing Serratia marcescens and Aureobasidium pullulans? So many of these natural cleaning products don't really work. I feel badly for this very nice, very good cleaning lady to have to use my crappy products.

Seems to me some combination of baking soda and vinegar would work best on the grout, but check with your tile manufacturer to make sure this wouldn't be too abrasive. Tile companies often publish care instructions; check to see what they recommend.

I was using METHOD daily shower spray to forego squeegeeing, it works great for that... I noticed less black mold appearing but pink 'mold' showing up in its place. I hammered the pink areas with the Method shower spray but it looked like it made it grow. There was a grit on my shower floor as well that turned out to be particles of my 10 year old acrylic grout. Not sure if the spray was responsible for that though. You need something strong enough to get rid of the pink pathogen. "pink bacteria has been linked to urinary tract infections, wound infections and gastrointestinal distress

@Paul F. - Nasty! I really wish I could use 409 or soft scrub without it throwing my lungs into spasm! I have tried the vinegar and baking soda route and it isn't all that great. Bon Ami is effective but leaves so much residue I can see why a cleaning person would not want to use it.

@Kendrah I hope you're take a high quality magnesium supplement like Magnesium glycinate or "Natural Calm". I was crazy allergic to dust & pollen for most of my life until a doctor found I was magnesium deficient due to undiagnosed food allergies. I fixed the deficiency and my sensitive skin and horrible allergic responses disappeared.

"Magnesium is needed to make the enzyme, DAO, which mops up histamine when it's been released, if you can't make DAO, histamine levels in the blood increase 16. Histamine release from immune cells causes many of the symptoms of allergic responses to, for example, pollen and insect bites." "low magnesium intake may be involved in the development of both asthma and chronic obstructive airway disease."

There are natural cleaners made by essential oil companies. I have one called “Thieves” but it definitely has a mild scent. It is usable on everything, and works. It’s a concentrate to which you add water, which makes it economical. Not sure if these types of scents also trigger your asthma.

I’ve found that a handheld steamer with a nozzle that accommodates a variety of scrubbers works wonders on my on tile and grout and doesn’t trigger my asthma.

I don't know why Dawn is called for by name as opposed to other dish soaps for non-dish washing stuff. Always seemed a little weird to me too!

Try using whatever you use on your dishes instead.

Maybe citric acid occasionally for deep cleaning? It's concentrated SweeTARTS. :P (Test on a spot of grout first.) It's really good for toilet bowls.

(I believe these bacteria have only been found to be a health problem for immunocompromised people in hospital settings. Don't rub your privates or open wounds on it or anything, but don't get freaked out about a perfectly natural microbe that is pretty much everywhere anyway.)

@RedRyder Unfortunately essential oils are just as bad for my asthma as synthetic smells.

@Sarah I have never heard of this kind of device. Do you use it for regular weekly cleaning or is it more of a deep cleaning tool? Do you add any cleanser to it or is it just water? Thanks for the suggestion.

I just use distilled water with no added cleaners of any kind for the tile and grout in the shower for my weekly shower cleaning.

I use the steamer for both regular and deep cleaning. When I first bought my house, I needed to use the brush attachments that came with the steamer to get the tile and grout properly deep cleaned, but now I can usually just let the steam blast away until I’m left with clean tile and grout.

The steamer looks like a great option.

For dish soap I’ve seen 7th Generation get good marks in “best” articles like Good Housekeeping as an unscented alternative to Dawn. I think it’s more concentrated than some, but I also like Ecover and Biokleen. (Just depends on what’s on sale at my grocery store.) I think you’re on the right track with Bon Amis or Bar Keeper’s Friend (not sure how you do with that one) or even just baking soda. Clorox does have some Free & Clear products, but I haven’t tried those. Last, a tenant of ours left behind Fantastik’s foamy bleach spray, so I’ve been using it up. I think it’s much milder than 409 and regular Clorox products, so maybe it would okay for you if your cleaner uses it, windows open, fan on? But maybe too risky since it sounds like you are more sensitive than I am.

@Fori Dawn has donated 1000's of bottles of their soap for the washing of birds after they get trapped and covered in oil spills. I think it kind of lead to that brand name to stand out as a grease cutter that was gentle. Genius marketing.

The one bit of marketing that has everyone playing along here is LVP flooring. Luxury Vinyl... haha. I'm using it in my rentals but please... nothing luxurious about it.

7th generation unscented instead of dawn.
Bleach is the only thing that works on pink algae.

Liquid body wash instead of soap bars makes a tremendous difference in clean showers.

The steamer might work on pink stuff, it likes cool water.

Is liquid body wash better on tile and grout too or is it just a glass door soap scum thing? We have a shower curtain. I much prefer bar soap because it usually has fewer additives and ingredients and way less packaging.

Haha Paul. That is probably it. Now it's recommended to clean tubas and deskunk dogs and...everything. I'm pretty sure it's just dish soap.

Can you handle some Clorox cleaner with bleach? You don't have to spray the whole shower, just the areas with the pink stains. Rinse well and run the fan.

There is a simple green “pink” cleaner concentrate forn bathrooms that is fragrance free.

I've read a number of articles on common pink bacteria. It's airborne bacteria so it's everywhere in that room and stubborn to eliminate. You may have to have a deep clean and avoid the room for a bit. Pink bacteria can also aggravate respiratory issues so you might want to take an aggressive approach then find a long term maintenance product that doesn't irritate you. My understanding is that soap residue and hair products provide a good medium for it to grow. A spray of bleach will get rid of the color and initially kill it but only scrubbing will remove the problem. To kill it, the products need to dwell for a while to do the job. IMO the entire room should be scrubbed and treated to get rid of the bacteria, including the walls, ceiling, and fan parts as well as toilet and tank. Every item in there likely has some bacteria on it. Long term, the room needs to be kept very dry - ventilate longer than you have been and keep the shower aired. If there's a shower door, keep it ajar. If it's a curtain get an antibacterial liner. I'd remove any superfluous or decorative textiles that may hold moisture that this pink stuff loves. Dry towels thoroughly and change every few days. Dry dry dry.

Try using any shampoo that you use on your hair on the walls. Switching from bar soap to body wash would reduce the soap scum buildup, if you can find some that meets your sensitivities. Buy a fresh new uncontaminated scrubber (bristle or pad) (hang it in the shower) and use it on the walls with a squirt of shampoo every few days. Your housecleaner can use it, too. A shower squeegee for the walls will also help reduce buildup and make it dry faster, discouraging growth.

Random thoughts:

- I'm fussy about very few name-brand products, but I do stick to Original Dawn dishwashing liquid.

- I do like half Dawn and half white vinegar for the shower. Works great.

- I have a bit of pink film in my shower right now, but it's from using The Pink Stuff on my grout; it's hard to wash it all off after cleaning. I won't buy The Pink Stuff again. Soft Scrub works better at half the price. Lesson learned.

- I try to limit the plastics I buy, so I stick to bar soap instead of body wash. If I need to wash the shower a little more often, it's worth it not to send yet another plastic bottle to the landfill. Literally every plastic bottle that's ever been made is still in a landfill.

Kendrah have a tried Dawn or do you just assume it will trigger your asthma? I cannot handle most cleaning products, and some years ago discovered the half vinegar/ half Dawn in a dish scrubber method. I can now clean my shower without coughing and wheezing. What if she cleans the shower when you are out and rinses well afterwards? There is no unscented Dawn, but the original formula is much less noticeable.

@rtpaige03 - You make a good point. It has been years since I've used Dawn. I should try it again. Plus, if it has time to air out while she is cleaning, perhaps it won't bother me. Some things like bleach and Mrs. Meyers will continue to bother me for days, but others are more of an in-the-moment irritant.

@Mrs Pete - I'm with you on the landfill and plastic bottles.

@apple_pie_order - Who knew that shampoo was good for cleaning the walls? I assumed it would leave residue like soap. My shampoo is insanely expensive holistic stuff. I can't believe I spend that much on my hair and don't think I can stand to use it on my walls too.

I had no idea that this pink stuff was a terrible bacteria! We do not have an exhaust fan in our bathroom (NYC coop building, not allowed to install one) but I leave the door open and a window open to try to get some air flow.

Kendrah have a tried Dawn or do you just assume it will trigger your asthma?

Good point.

I'm with you on the landfill and plastic bottles.

Yeah, I can't eliminate them altogether, but I do what I can.

Maybe experiment one time and see. Diluted bleach I can handle outdoors but not indoors. I cannot handle Lysol products at all.

Bar soap contains something (often talc) to keep it solid, which also makes it stick to everything. I use aveeno fragrance free body wash, no soap scum on you or the shower. If you like feeling squeaky, that is actually soap scum.

I put a ceiling fan on a timer in my bathroom to help dry it out but I also have exhaust fan.

Once you get the bathroom clean, always put a fan in the bathroom and run 24/7 to keep it dry. This will help prevent mold/mildew

Kendrah, the dawn, she is talking about is the original blue dawn. I do have asthma and I use it all the time. That is the type of dawn, that is used to clean the oil from ducts and birds etc too. Not the other dawns, that some do have a heavier scent to them. I have no idea however, if it works for showers.

Note on Dawn - we've used it forever. Going so far as using it on the race car for degreasing when we're working on it.

All the formulations are confusing now (original, ultra, platinum, etc) and yet - none of them work as good as the "old" stuff. I recently needed to bring some tires / rims to get mounted. We took wheels off car and I was going to clean them off in the driveway and FOUND a small container of "old plan Dawn" that was in a race kit box that's probably 15 years old. I used it.

Holy cow - suds galore and cleaned the brake dust / road grime like magic.

Sigh. How I miss the old Dawn.

I do use the Dawn / vinegar mix in the shower. Easy peasy to always have on hand. There's a Dawn / peroxide mix too. (And window cleaner is isopropyl alcohol, water and a few drops of Dawn too)

With respiratory issues you don't want to be breathing in the pink bacteria.

I would want the bacteria completely killed. When I used cleaners in a medical environment you had to spray the anti bacterial/ anti viral solution on the surface and let it sit for at least 10 minutes before wiping. It needs time to work. Boiling water also helps kill bacteria (I boil kitchen towels and dishcloths before washing to remove any bacteria), so I would have the cleaning person clean and disinfect and then rinse with pots of boiling water.

If the cleaning products bother your asthma get a hotel room for a night or two after the initial clean.

Once it is eliminated I would use a squeegee and then an old towel to wipe down the walls and surfaces and throw that towel in the dryer for use again the next day. Buy a small fan type space heater and run it for 30 minutes after your morning shower and get a heated towel bar to help your towels dry faster.

Killing the bacteria and keeping the room clean and dry will be your best long term answer.

What kind/ brand of dish soap do you use in the kitchen? Why not try it for the shower?

Can you get an in window fan to exhaust the moist air after your showers?

window mount fan

Aveeno liquid body wash was mentioned further up in the thread. Amazon sells an "ecofriendly" refill pouch for the fragrance free product. Yes, it's still plastic, but less of it.

A lot of recyclers will take the bottle but not the bag so check the rules where you are first.

Valid point - in fact the current pouch does indicate it's not recyclable. But it's made with 30% post consumer recycled plastic and Aveeno has made a commitment to 100% recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by the end of 2025. As with other purchasing decisions, it's a tradeoff between many factors - starting with soap scum and allergy concerns in this conversation!

I use Dawn as my default cleaner for almost everything. I detest scented products also, but I find that this does not leave a scent that is pervasive, as do some other detergents.

I bought some Spic n Span some time ago and could not use it. The sick sweet smell lingered and penetrated everything . I use to use it and it had a scent but not one that was as pervasive as the new version. I wont buy it again.

vinegar and baking soda are good for some things, but those things are limited. I see it so much and think if to be highly over over rated. And, you cant make your own home made cleaning solution with it unless what you are washig will be rinsed. It will leave a gritty film on many things.

One of the best grout cleaners I have used is hydrogen peroxide mixed with dawn soap and enough baking soda to make a paste. It’s great for cleaning dirty/scummy stuff. Go heavier on the peroxide if you want to kill the pink bacteria. It does have to sit for 10 minutes or so, then use a brush to scrub. Peroxide kills it, the soda helps scour. Citric acid also kills it - Method bathroom cleaner uses citric acid. It does stain white grout if it’s not cleaned regularly. Wiping down your shower walls and floors after every use helps tremendously. My husband and I do so religiously, our son not so much and his needs to be scrubbed much more frequently. The pink bacteria does feed on the fats in soap scum, so getting that out is helpful (which dawn will help with). I don’t notice a scent with the dawn that I use.

Cleaning lady is coming today and I'll see how I do with the Dawn. I got a teeny bottle of the blue stuff to try out.

I have no way to put a fan in this tiny bathroom. There is only one outlet and it sits right next to my sink that has no ledge or area to put a fan. It is right next to the door so I can't even put something on the floor or I'd walk into it.

You can't install a vent fan in NYC? Why not? Seriously, I don't know why anyone lives there.