How to Clean Bathroom Faucet Handles | With Simple Solutions
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Among the thousands of household cleaning work, often we forget to clean bathroom faucet handles. But have you ever noticed a dirty faucet handle give your entire bathroom a dirty look? Obviously, you do.
Cleaning a sink or bathtub may be easy as they are large in size but cleaning a faucet handle is a little bit a tricky job. It is not as simple as you just wipe it with a wet microfiber cloth, and it will be shiny. The cleaning procedure often depends on the materials the faucet is made of. However, cleaning the faucet handle is tricky indeed but not impossible at all.
Why should you clean the bathroom faucet handles?
As the faucet handle is a tiny part of the house, you may ignore it to clean regularly. But over time, it can grow limescale, mold, and even give out a bad smell. For continuously low maintenance, the handle may become useless, and you need to replace it.
You may have an idea of the price of a quality faucet. Do you want to spend much money on replacing faucets frequently? Not at all. So, you need to be more attentive to cleaning faucet handles during your day-to-day household cleaning work.
How to clean bathroom faucet handle
There are various methods to clean the bathroom faucet handle, and most of these methods depend on the materials that the faucet has been built. So, first, find out the materials of the handle and go for the below-listed cleaning methods.
1. Metal faucet handle
Usually, metal-made faucet handles are easy to clean. They come in a fixed design, so no need to open them for deep cleaning. Various household elements work well in cleaning them.
Use of dishwashing soap
- Apply a few drops of dishwashing soap to the faucet.
- A piece of cloth damped into warm water and scrub the handle gently.
- Wipe out the handle with a dry cloth and remove the soap. If the stains are still found, then repeat the process again.
Use of white vinegar
- White vinegar works very effectively. Mix one cup of white vinegar with a similar amount of water.
- A piece of cloth dip into the solution and apply to the stained area of the handle.
- Keep the cloth for 10 minutes or more. During this time, the vinegar of the cloth loosens the dirt and grime. You may have to scrub a little bit scrub to clean away all the grime.
- Wipe the handle with dry clothe and get a sparking toilet handle.
- As vinegar many times reacts when it comes to contact with metal, you should test it first in a small area. If there is no unexpected reaction occurred, then apply it to the entire handle.
Use of baking soda
- Baking soda is also a useful household ingredient that works on stains effectively. Take some baking soda on an old and damp toothbrush.
- Scrub the stain of the faucet handle with the brush thoroughly.
- Rinse the handle with plain water and wash out the stain with soda.
2. Plastic faucet handle
Plastic faucet handles are easy to deep clean as you can open them. A screwdriver or any other simple sharp object is enough to unscrew the faucet head.
- Unscrew the faucet head and dip it into hot water along with the stem.
- Use an old/used toothbrush to clean dirt from the stem and the head. Hot water will loosen the dirt and help to remove them quickly.
- If the dirt is hard enough, then you can add a half cup of baking soda or white vinegar into the hot water.
- Rinse the stem and head with normal water and let them dry completely. Once they dry, put them again and screw them back.
Additional tips for cleaning faucet handle
Though faucet cleaning is quite a simple job, the following tips will make your job easier-
- At present, many companies offer a long time warranty with a new faucet. Though these warranties come with various clauses, for example, damages causing the use of any harsh chemicals will void the warranty. So, if your newly purchased faucet also has such kind of warranty, be careful to use any harsh chemicals.
- If your faucet comes with any special finish like a patina, then be careful about using any cleaning elements. Because for the patina finish, water wash is enough. If you use any of the things, the finish can even destroy completely.
- Do not use a hard brush or metal scrubber for scrubbing a plastic faucet. Otherwise, it can make scratches on the plastic handle.
- Any commercial cleaner you should use on a small hidden area to check its reaction or faucet materials.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long should I soak my faucet in vinegar?
About 10 minutes to a few hours will be enough. Usually, 10 to 15 minutes is enough, but if the build-up is too stubborn, you can also leave it for three to four hours. It also depends on the materials of the faucet handle. Do not leave the vinegar on the metal faucet for more than 10 to 15 minutes.
Will vinegar damage chrome fixtures?
As vinegar is one kind of acid, it can damage the chrome fixture if you leave vinegar for 10 to 15 minutes or more.
Is vinegar better than CLR?
CLR contains various acidic elements, which are quite good at removing stains and household build-up. So, it works better than vinegar on various tough stains.
How do I get chrome stains from the chrome faucet handle?
Just take a piece of lemon and scrub on the stains of the chrome faucet. If the stain is severe, leave lemon juice on the faucet handle for a few minutes only. Wipe out the faucet handle using a dry cloth.
How do you get rid of limescale from the faucet?
Use vinegar to remove limescale from the faucet. Vinegar is also effectively can remove limescale from taps.
Wrapping up
A dirty and stained faucet handle refers to existing microbial on it. It is quite harmful and dangerous to the health of you and your family. On the other hand, a dirty faucet handle can negatively impact your guest if they use your bathroom. We hope above listed cleaning methods can help you to get rid of the dirty faucet handle. Now it is easy to clean the faucet handle and make it like a new one. Do it yourself by above the listed cleaning methods and share your experience with us. All the best.
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