In this blog, we will discuss how you can clean your bathroom taps. People often notice some kind of scale building on their taps. This mostly happens because of hard water and its deposits. The scaling is pretty easy to clean and you do not need to worry.
Sometimes it is not just scaling, but other build-ups like lather or grease that work together to make your taps dirty. If you have sworn to make your taps look as good as new, you are in the correct place.
The number one tip to keep in mind before you dive into cleaning is to never scrub. While working with taps, we always suggest you use a circular motion to rub the taps with a cloth. Try to avoid brushes and scrubbers as much as possible as they have the maximum
The Cleaning process
You may clean your taps with a simple microfiber cloth and warm water. A good microfiber cloth goes a long way. People do not even require soap sometimes for cleaning because the microfiber cloth does all the work for them. A very good microfiber cloth that we suggest is E-cloth (U. K.) microfiber kitchen cleaning cloth. The manufacturer guarantees 300 machine washes indicating the superior quality of this cloth. They promise to remove 99% of bacteria also. It is a good product for the cleaning purposes as it promises to clean well with just water. Click here to check it out on amazon.
Before you think of bringing vinegar or baking soda into this process, we want to give you a fair warning. There are many taps which are polished with very feeble coatings. Such polishes can be destroyed with just the use of soap. We understand that it can be very confusing to know how durable your tap polish is. We recommend you contact your manufacturer for such information. A silver lining is that most such taps come with signs etched on them saying things like ‘use only water to clean’. If you have no clue about how you should be washing your taps, we suggest that you go ahead with the mildest cleaning methods. Also then you will have to keep in mind that you keep cleaning your taps once in a fortnight to avoid much buildup. To ease your confusion, we have categorized cleaning methods according to the various materials that taps come in.
Solid brass
It is the most robust type of material in terms of corrosion. Hence, hard water cannot erode it easily. You may clean it with whatever you want. Do not use too much acid though to keep it safe. If possible, just clean these kinds of taps with hot water and a good microfiber cloth.
You may go ahead and use a little bit of soap as well. Whenever you hear the word brass, Brasso should be the first word that comes to your mind in terms of making the taps shine. It is a good polish to go ahead with. It is also available on amazon as Brasso Liquid Metal Polish, 100ml. Click here to check it out on amazon.
Limescale is a common problem too. To remove limescale, use vinegar. Dip the cloth in some vinegar and apply it evenly on the tap. Let it sit for 15 minutes and wipe away the vinegar and wash the tap thoroughly. You may increase the duration of letting the vinegar sit on the tap. But make sure that you remove every last droplet of it from the tap once you are done.
Die cast zinc alloy
They are less expensive but they are fairly durable. This is not a good investment since as soon as the polish wears off; the faucet will start to erode. The key here is to get it plated or polished again if the polish wears off. Using even soap water can be a disadvantage in these faucets. You will have to be extremely careful about cleaning them. If you have no other option, then use a mild soap in very little concentration mixed with water to clean these taps. It will be best to buy a specific cleaner meant for it so that the polish remains intact for a longer time. You may contact the manufacturer to know about your cleaning options. Vinegar too is a huge no. You may rub off certain stains with oil. But stick generally to water and a cloth. The lack of cleaning options highlights the importance of cleaning these kinds of taps regularly.
Brass and Chrome plated
These are a bit difficult to maintain and might seem like a cheap investment at first but they are actually going to erode as soon as the plating wears off.
The faucets just have a coating of brass and hence are not that durable. Avoid any acids and even abrasive soaps or detergents. Oil can be a good friend here to clean the tap. Here too, stick mostly to very mild soap and water.
Electroplated chrome on brass
The lamination lasts longer than the above two options and is relatively cheaper than brass faucets too. Soapy water will work well here. You may also use baking soda. Avoid vinegar for a better and longer life. For working with baking soda, pour hot water over the tap and sprinkle baking soda. Let it be for an hour and then wipe in circular motions to remove limescale. You may mix 2 teaspoons of dish soap with a cup of water and use this mix as a cleaner as well.
Plastic
They are the easiest to clean but are the least durable. You may clean them with any detergent of your choice. Do check if they are painted in any way as the risk of erosion of paint is always present. Go ahead with your natural instincts of mixing detergent and water as you may use any concentration you like.