Why is the soap scum in my shower pink?

Quite possibly Serratia marcescens; buy some bleach.

Because it is full of bacteria and pink algae and molds that are all having one delicious orgy of microscopic life, right there in YOUR shower! Fornicating and creating brand new little moldy offspring of all colors. It’s an ethnic community of depravity.
Run a bubble bath and grab a microscope for a live horror moment.

@wonderingwhy Gross.

It’s probably not horribly bad for you. Still, you’ll want to nuke those little guys before you shower.

Yep. Welcome to the world of colourful microbiology.

Clean your shower.

Oh, another tip: clean your shower head as well, by dipping it a weak bleach solution. Shower heads of FULL of crap you don’t see. A frequent dip in vinegar to get rid of the chalky build up will also help limit the growth of the microbes you can’t see.

I agree with those above, you need to clean your shower. This is my recommendation: Scrub Free is great on soap scum (not to be confused with soft scrub). Spray, wait 3–5 minutes and wipe clean. Repeat if you have to. Then rinse. Tylex is good on mold and other germy things, just spray, wait several minutes, then rinse. Do not use the two chemicals together, you need to do the two different things a day or two apart. While waiting for the chemicals to work after spraying leave the room, you can wear a mask if you are sensitive or worried about the chemicals. Once you get it all cleaned up you can use more preventative methods, and stick to more natural remedies if you prefer not to use harsh chemicals.

If the mold is very stubborn, there is a chance it is living behind the tile. If a shower is constructed poorly with inadequate measures against mold, the dry wall behind the tile might stay damp in between usage and harbor mold. But, usually the mold is in the grout when that happens, not on the tiles in soap scum.

@cazzie It has been suggested that you put your vinegar in a bag that you can tie around the shower head and let it sit overnight.

Yes, @Nullo, that would be one way of soaking a shower head in vinegar. Depends what type of shower head you have, I suppose. Mine, it is easier to detach.

Just fill up a squirt bottle with a little bleach and water and spray your shower every day, no more mold.

Drying it after every shower is a more chemical-free option.

@cazzie That too, but bleach is actually very non-toxic to people.

Bleach does not remove soap scum. It only helps part of the problem.

I use a squeegee (sp?) to wipe off excess water after showering. I only do it on the glass, but I guess you could do it everywhere come to think of it.

@JLeslie True, to remove the buildup you need to scrub, but bleach keeps mold and bacteria from forming in between scrubbings. On my list today. haha

@Coloma I don’t scrub much, more like wipe. I just use the Scrub Free, and I also use Clorox Green Works bathroom cleaner in-between. Supposedly it is more natural? Green Works about once every 7–14 days depending. The Scrub Free every 4–8 weeks. I use the Tylex every 2–4 weeks I would say.

@JLeslie Yes, I like scrub free too, and I also use the Lysol or Chlorox wipes, I can’t live without those, I use them on everything, doorknobs, the cat door flap and frame, countertops, everywhere!

@Coloma I never use any wipes. Why do you like them better than just having some sort of spray? Although, I almost never touch doorknobs in my house, except the back doors, and I don’t have pets.

Bombarding it with radiation will kill the bacteria, or else create a flesh-rending bathroom kaiju monster. Your call.

@JLeslie They are convenient. I also use them for hand mopping my bathroom floors.

uh…....ask the hamberger ^_^