Problem with white silicon seal - parts of it have turned pink! - Tile Advice

[bayswater-rose]

Can anyone on this forum please help? Part of the beautiful white silicon seal around my bath has turned pink! Can anyone suggest what I could do to remedy this, short of replacing the seal (which I'm loathe to do since its only 2 months old). Any helpful suggestions would be gratefully received.

 

[Gazzer]

Apart from trying to clean it there is not much else other than replace it. the question being why it has changed colour....shower gels are the most common culprits.

 

[AliGage]

Or temporary pink hair dye like my other half has managed to stain our en-suite shower tray with!

 

[bayswater-rose]

Thanks for your speedy reply - its much appreciated! I was wondering what I should try using to clean it with - e.g. white vinegar, chlorine bleach, diluted baby steriliser etc etc? A posting I read on an American website suggested using "oyxgen bleach". (I'm not familiar with this product but the pharmasist in my local independent chemist thought that this might be "hydrogen peroxide".) Best wishes, Rose

 

[John Benton]

Was a silicone with Microban used or was just a cheap option?

 

[bayswater-rose]

Thanks for your speedy reply. I'm sure that the guy who installed it used a good quality silicon sealant with microban so I don't think that its mould. Do you have any suggestions of what may be useful for cleaning it with?

 

[AliGage]

I've had a yellow colour come through a white sealant (Dow Corning i think). Turned out to be a bit of tile adhesive i'd missed cleaning up behind the sealant.

 

[Stef]

Hi, Are the first row of tiles on your bath cuts?

Reason i ask is i have used a pink pen to mark tiles before & it wasnt cleaned properly & it showed through the silicone, just a thought.

 

[kilty55]

if it has stained im not sure anythign will move it...not a big job re siliconing maybe worth just re doing it

 

[bayswater-rose]

Thanks so much - your advice is really appreciated! When I first noticed this staining I got really depressed but I think that I'm going to take your advice and ask my builder to re-do if I can't find a wonder product to shift the stain. So far I've tried white vinegar and bar keepers friend (which works wonders shifting stains from Corian). I was going to "oxygen bleach" - recommended on an American webpage I visited.

 

[macten]

Serratia Marcescens!
It's actually an airbourne bacterium but because this bacteria contains mould it is common in bathrooms. I would try diluted bleach on the silicone or remove. Often see it on shower screen seals - they turn pink and you have to replace them.

 

[AliGage]

Serratia Marcescens!
It's actually an airbourne bacterium but because this bacteria contains mould it is common in bathrooms. I would try diluted bleach on the silicone or remove. Often see it on shower screen seals - they turn pink and you have to replace them.

Spot on it seems! I just looked this up and it seems to fit the description perfectly. Here's a link to what wiki had to say:

Serratia marcescens - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good job Macten

 

[macten]

Cheers Allister,

See it all the time when I'm ripping out customers' bathrooms - there is a mould out there that is a pale pink but the real bright pink stuff that looks like it wouldn't appear naturally is the bacteria. To be honest I think the only solution is to remove and reseal with bal or mapei silicone. I have to change my shower screen seals every year due to the dreaded pink but my silicone is fine. Only tip is keep window open and extractor on during and after shower and get in the habit of wiping down when you're done.

 

[AliGage]

I read that it likes bathrooms for the damp conditions. Bayswater-rose, do you have any extraction in your bathroom? Might help to get one installed if you haven't maybe?

 

[bayswater-rose]

Hi Macten, Thanks so much for your advice on this problem - its really appreciated. I have an extractor fan in my bathroom since there's no window and building regs stipulated that I have one (I live in a leasehold property) and I generally wipe down after every time I use the bath/shower. Best wishes, Bayswater-rose