So that bright shiny faucet now has water spots! We recently moved in to a new home and love the new polished nickel faucets. We found that hard water can be a big challenge. Arizona has minerals in the water that adhere to the almost everything water touches. After a period of time, hard water deposits will corrode fixtures, possibly causing leaks. We recommend keeping faucets and fixtures looking nice! There is no need to purchase special cleaning products because regular white vinegar will usually do the job. Please do not use some of the lime and iron remover products. Those are extremely damaging and will remove the finish.
Removing Hard Water Spots
Kitchen and bathroom faucets will have the most hard water deposits. That new faucet can look old very quickly because everyday cleaning doesn’t remove the sediment buildup. Use a little vinegar to help loosen the buildup before scrubbing.
- Use a clean white rag and soak it in vinegar, then lay it over the faucet.
- Let that sit for at least 15-20 minutes; possibly retreating if the buildup in really bad.
- Now, use one of those non scratch sponges (we get ours at Costco)and gently scrub the faucet. You might need to go over it several times the first time. Be careful not to scratch the faucet's finish by using plenty of water. Even a non-scratch sponge can scratch the finish if both the sponge and the faucet are dry.
Removing Sediment Scale From a Faucet Aerator
After a period of time you might notice the stream of water from your faucets isn't what it used to be. Sometime the sprayer nozzle has an erratic spray. It is most likely the aerator is clogged with sediment. Not many people know that it needs to be cleaned regularly. We will show you how below:
- Carefully remove the aerator with a soft cloth wrapped around some pliers so not to scratch or dent it.
- The aerator has a few parts, disassemble (take a photo of the assembly on your phone) and soak the parts in vinegar for aa hour or longer.
- Scrub the faucet aerator screen with an old toothbrush to remove any remaining sediment.
- Once everything is clean, rinse with water.
- Reassemble (remember that phone photo you took? )the parts and screw it back on the faucet.
- Does it look and run water like new again?
Cleaning Toilets, Sinks, Tubs, and Showers
Cleaning water spots on other fixtures will entail different material for each. All of these can be scratched with abrasive scrubbing.
We found the best mixture for toilets, sinks, tubs and showers is vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and Borax. Again, using with one of those Costco sponges so not to scratch the finish.
So how do you prevent hard water deposits on your fixtures? Start with a water softener system. These will add years to your appliances and fixtures.