How to remove hard water stains from brushed nickel faucet

Q: I have a brushed nickel kitchen faucet that has developed blemishes over the years. What causes these? Can they be removed? Is there any way to prevent them from happening if I were to obtain a new faucet?

Table of Contents Show

Step 1:
Step 2:
Step3:
Step 4:
Step 5:
Step 6:
How to Avoid Hard Water Stains on Faucets
Wipe the Faucets When Done
Clean the Nickel Often
Add a Wax Coating
Get a Water Softener System
Keeping the Polished Nickel Clean
Will vinegar damage brushed nickel?
Will CLR damage brushed nickel?
How do you clean a Moen brushed nickel faucet?
How do you remove limescale from brushed nickel taps?

Herndon

A: Corrosion is relatively easy to prevent. But it can be difficult or even impossible to undo. The cause is usually improper cleaning — either too much (by using harsh chemicals or abrasives) or too little (by leaving spatters of acids or other harmful ingredients on the metal until all the moisture evaporates).

“Many fibrous pads or sponges contain microscopic mineral particles that can scratch a faucet’s finish,” Gary Parobek, part of the customer quality improvement group for Moen (800-289-6636; moen.com), said in an email. “In addition, cleaners that contain abrasives, harsh chemicals, alcohol or other organic solvents can cause damage and corrosion.”

On a bathroom faucet, besides cleaner residue, you also have to worry about spatter from toothpaste, acne medicine and mouthwash. These often contain ingredients such as baking soda, peroxide, sodium fluoride or phosphates, which can damage faucet finishes when they are left in contact with the metal for long periods.

Leaving cleaners or other spatter to evaporate on a faucet increases the risk of corrosion because the concentration of the cleaning chemicals increases as the water disappears. “Damage depends on contact time and concentration,” Parobek said.

That’s why his key advice is to wash faucets with mild soap, rinse thoroughly with warm water and dry with a soft, clean cloth. (Non-creamy hand dishwashing liquid, such as Dawn, works well.) To remove mineral deposits, Parobek recommends using a half-and-half solution of vinegar and water, followed by a thorough rinsing and then drying with a soft cloth. However, some faucet finishes can be damaged by any acidic cleaner, so if you know the brand and model of your faucet, read the manufacturer’s care instructions first.

For extra protection, Parobek recommends an occasional final step: “Just as a car can be waxed to protect its finish from damage, consumers can use an automotive wax to protect the finish of their faucet.”

If a faucet is already corroded, it’s sometimes possible to rub the tarnish away by using an automotive cleaner and polish. Parobek recommends Flitz Metal, Plastic & Fiberglass Polish ($12.25 for a 1.76-ounce tube at flitz.com).

Brushed nickel finishes, which are rubbed with an abrasive while still at the factory to create their special look, are especially susceptible to damage from bathroom and kitchen cleaners that contain low-concentration phosphoric acid. If not rinsed promptly, these can damage or even remove a brushed nickel finish. “Flitz will clean and protect the surface,” Parobek said.

Whatever the finish, if black spots remain after you use the metal polish, there is little else to try. Although a plating shop can redo a finish such as chrome, the most practical option is to get a new faucet.

If you opt for a new faucet, ones that are solid brass underneath are more durable than ones made of die-cast zinc or plastic.

Over the faucet body, the most corrosion-resistant finishes are applied via a process called PVD, for physical vapor deposition. The parts go into a vacuum chamber where an electrical charge is used to attract minute bits of finish to the faucet base. This results in an extremely durable bond that manufacturers often claim will last a lifetime. Moen calls these LifeShine finishes. Delta’s term is Brilliance. Kohler’s is Vibrant. Options include brushed or polished nickel, satin or polished brass, and new colors that a manufacturer might call Carbon or Graphite.

The key thing to realize is that although PVD finishes aren’t likely to peel, harsh chemicals or abrasives can still damage them. Read the warranties and you’ll see that the lifetime guarantee is void if you use almost anything other than warm, soapy water as a cleaner. But if you stick to that, the results can be excellent.

Besides PVD finishes, you can also find faucets with powder-coat finishes and metallic finishes that have a clear protective topcoat. These are even easier to damage with abrasives or harsh chemicals. Trickiest of all are “living finishes” that are designed to wear and age over time, creating a patina look. These have no protective coating, so it’s easy to scratch or wear through the finish.

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Nickel in your home, especially in the kitchen or bathroom, can make the room look really nice. You can find them in a few different finished including brushed and polished and others that are done to make it look like aged metal. Because nickel is durable, many homes have it in there. But it is also susceptible to staining from different products.

You could choose to use a scouring pad or an abrasive cleaner, but these will often cause damage to the surface of the fixture so you need to use some caution when you pick out a cleaning product. While the commercial products are not going to work well without causing damage, there are likely to be some products around your home that you can use to help clean the nickel and make them look nice.

Related: How To Clean Water Stains From a Bathroom Mirror

If you have hard water stains on your polished nickel, there are a few steps that you can use to make sure that you can remove those stains and make the fixtures look as good as new. Some of the safe options include:

Step 1:

To start this process, take about a quarter cup of dishwashing liquid of your choice. Put it into a spray bottle that can hold at least a quart. Then fill the bottle with some cool water. You do not want this to be warm.

Step 2:

With the dish soap and the water inside the spray bottle, it is time to mix the contents until they are combined. Open the nozzle on the spray bottle at this time and then spray it all over the polished nickel item that you would like to get clean. If you plan to do a lot of cleaning with this solution, keep the same ratio in place and then just put it all in a bigger spray bottle.

Step3:

Get the faucet covered in the solution as much as possible. It is time to bring out a sponge at this point and scrub the faucet as much as possible. If you need, use a bit of cool water to help get all of the solution off. Stay away from the hot water during this time. The cool water is the best to get all of the little parts that come with the faucets or other nickel pieces that you are trying to clean off.

Step 4:

Now it is time to bring out a few other items to help you get this done. You will need some rubbing and a cotton ball. You can add a little bit of the rubbing alcohol into the cotton ball. Do not get it soaked but add enough to help you work on this process. Then take the cotton ball and rub on the stained area. Depending on how hard the water stains are, you may need to scrub a bit and add some more rubbing alcohol to the area. You can continue this until the stain lifts up. The alcohol is going to do a great job at picking up some of the calcium deposits while ensuring that it will help the nickel piece to shine and look amazing.

Step 5:

Once you have the water stains lifted up and done, it is time to rinse the rubbing alcohol off. If you did a good job and cleaned all the little parts, then you will need to take some extra time to remove the alcohol so it does not stick or cause issues to the nickel. You need to make sure all of the rubbing alcohol is removed from the faucet so take your time on this. It will help to keep the nickel pieces clean and looking good rather than getting ruined by the alcohol.

Step 6:

To finish this off, you will need to use a soft and clean cloth to help buff the faucets. This makes sure that all of the water is removed when you are done and can make all of it shine and look amazing as you get done. You can spend a little extra time on this part to make sure that all of the different nooks and areas of the faucet or other nickel pieces are all cleaned out and ready to go. This extra scrubbing is also a good way to make the nickel shine and look good.

How to Avoid Hard Water Stains on Faucets

Now that we know a little bit more about how to remove the hard water stains on the faucets that you are using, it is time for us to dive in a bit and see some of the steps that we can use to make sure these hard water stains do not appear on the faucet (or show up again later), to keep the room looking nice.

Wipe the Faucets When Done

The key to making the faucet look good all the time, or to keep any other type of nickel clean and clear, is to clean it off when you are done. If any kind of water gets onto the nickel, then you need to remove it with a good wiping. A chamois cloth or a soft rag are the best one for this so you can easily wipe it dry when you are done cleaning up. If you live in an area with hard water, it is easy for the calcium deposits to form on the area and you may end up with a mess on your hands. Clean up each time to avoid this.

Clean the Nickel Often

The recommendation is to clean it at least twice a week. If you wipe it down on a daily basis or when you are done using it, then it is likely that you will not need to clean the nickel pieces as often. But to make sure that they will last for a long time and not get the hard water spots, cleaning the faucet more often is going to be necessary. Make sure to spend extra time looking at the little crevices and any openings to make sure the calcium deposits can’t make their home there.

There are a few different options that you can use to help take care of this part of the nickel and to make it as clean as possible. You can use a hard-surface cleaning spray to get it done. Then use a cloth to wipe it dry completely to avoid more issues with more deposits later on.

Add a Wax Coating

Another thing that you can consider doing to make sure the water stains are kept off your polished nickel is to add a wax coating. You should consider doing this at least once a month. This will add on a little more shine and protection to keep the hard water stains away. If you live in an area that has hard water, this is a good treatment that will keep the faucet and other types of nickel looking great.

It is pretty easy to find this kind of paste to get the work done. It is affordable and you just need to add a little bit to a dry and soft cloth before spreading the wax all over the nickel that you would like to clean off. When you have the whole piece covered, you can then use a clean soft cloth and rub it to make the whole piece look shiny and new.

Get a Water Softener System

If you live in an area that has a lot of hard water, it may be time to consider a new water softener system. This type of system is a good way to remove minerals that would create hard water, which is something that causes all the trouble with the nickel In your home. Over time, this hard water is able to destroy the appliances you have, allowing calcium to build up on any surface that it would like. It can even dry out your skin and hair with prolonged use too.

Most homes in the United States rely on hard water from the tap so it is likely that your home does to. There are many water softener systems that you can purchase including those from Amazon and other local stores. It can cost a little bit to get this started, but it is worth it to protect the appliances and the different parts of your home.

Keeping the Polished Nickel Clean

It is important to take good care of the polished nickel in your home. But if you have hard water in your home, this is not always as easy as you may like. You may need to spend some time wiping down the item and keeping up on the maintenance to make sure that it lasts a long time. If you follow the steps listed above, you will find that it is easy to keep your polished nickel clean and to remove all of the hard water stains that are on it.

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Will vinegar damage brushed nickel?

Be sure to avoid using acid, alcohol, or solvent-based cleaners. These types of cleaners can ruin or discolor the more delicate surface of the brushed nickel finish. Vinegar is a popular faucet cleaning solution, but should be avoided on brushed nickel.

Will CLR damage brushed nickel?

The CLR Bathroom & Kitchen can be used on faucets/taps made of chrome or stainless steel and should not be used on any other finishes including, but not limited to bronze, oil rubbed bronze, nickel, brushed nickel, brass or copper.

How do you clean a Moen brushed nickel faucet?

A damp cloth and mild liquid dishwashing soap may be used, followed by rinsing with water and drying with a soft cloth. Most common household cleaners (including mild abrasives) can be used, when used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions for use.