The bad news: Water naturally contains many different types of minerals and sediments that, over time, can build up on your faucet head, and no one likes a dirty water dispenser. The good news: The process of removing the white calcium deposits and hard water stains that get left behind is simple and will leave your kitchen or bathroom faucet head looking spotless, so you can have clean, healthy drinking water.
In this guide, we show you how to clean faucet heads using different household staples, including vinegar, dish soap, baking soda, and steam.
How to Clean a Faucet Head
If you’re experiencing scaling and calcium buildup around your faucet head, you are not alone. The vast majority of households in the United States have hard water. Getting rid of unwanted white sediment buildup is easy.
Here’s how to clean a sink faucet head.
Materials
- Vinegar
- Water
- A bowl
- A small dish brush or an old toothbrush
- A microfiber cloth
- A spray bottle
- Laundry clothespins
- Old wash cloths or towels
Steps for Cleaning a Pullout or Pulldown Faucet Head
- Prepare the area by clearing out anything from your bathroom or kitchen sink area. You want to have space to move your hands freely around the faucet.
- If you have granite, limestone, or marble countertops surrounding your faucet, be sure to cover these surfaces by using some old wash cloths or old towels in case of vinegar spills. This is important because, while the acidity of vinegar is great for softening and removing mineral buildup, it can also damage certain surfaces, like natural stones and wood, if accidentally spilled.
- To loosen the grimy buildup, grab your dish brush or toothbrush, soak it with vinegar, and rub the faucet head to remove the scales.
- Pull the faucet head out and remove the head from the faucet hose. No tools needed. If you’re unable to remove the head, pull the faucet head all the way to the sink and place a clothespin on the hose near the faucet frame. This will hold the hose in place and prevent it from retracting.
- Pour equal parts of vinegar and water into a bowl that’s deep enough that the faucet head can be submerged inside.
- Soak the faucet head in the vinegar mixture and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, take the faucet head out of the vinegar solution and scrub it carefully with a dish brush to remove the remaining mineral buildup.
- Rinse it with lukewarm water.
- If there’s still a white crusty deposit on the faucet head, repeat steps five and six.
- Dip a microfiber cloth into the bowl you’ve filled with vinegar and water and use the soaked towel to clean the rest of the faucet.
- Put the faucet head back into place and you’re done.
Related: Make Your Cloudy Oven Door Glass Crystal Clear With These Genius Hacks
Steps for Cleaning a Stationary Faucet Head (Head Doesn’t Move)
- Follow steps one to three above.
- Try removing your faucet head, either by hand or using a wrench.
- If you’re able to remove it, pour equal parts of vinegar and water into a bowl that’s deep enough that the faucet head can be submerged inside.
- Soak the faucet head in the vinegar mixture and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes are up, take the faucet head out of the vinegar solution and scrub it carefully with a dish brush to remove the remaining mineral buildup.
- Rinse it with lukewarm water.
- If there’s still a white crusty deposit on the faucet head, repeat steps five and six.
- If you’re unable to remove the faucet head, fill an empty spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water and apply the solution generously directly to the faucet head and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- Dip a microfiber cloth into the bowl you’ve filled with vinegar and water in step five—or use the spray bottle solution from step 10—to clean the rest of the faucet.
- Put the faucet head back into place and you’re done.
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How to Clean a Faucet Head With Vinegar
Want to know how to clean a kitchen faucet head with vinegar? Cleaning a faucet head with vinegar is one of the most cost-effective and eco-friendly ways to remove mineral buildup, limescale, calcium deposits, and water stains.
To clean a faucet head with vinegar, all you need is a dish brush, a microfiber cloth, and a bowl or spray bottle. Simply mix some vinegar and water in equal parts, place the faucet head inside the vinegar solution, and let it sit for about 30 minutes or so. Then, brush off the mineral deposits, rinse the faucet, and dry it off using a microfiber cloth.
Related: Your Fridge Water Dispenser Is Grosser Than You Think. Here’s How to Actually Get It Clean
How to Clean a Faucet Head With Soap
Soap is good for cleaning your dishes and utensils, but it’s not as effective for removing mineral buildup from your faucet head. When soap is mixed with hard water, the minerals in the hard water work to create a “soap scum” that sticks to the surface of the faucet. Although you can use soap to clean mild buildups, you’ll have to scrub and rinse more thoroughly than if you use a more effective way to get rid of mineral deposits, such as using vinegar diluted with equal parts water.
How to Clean a Faucet Head With Baking Soda
Baking soda is an excellent option for cleaning and removing calcium buildup and water stains from a faucet head. The alkaline present in baking soda makes it a natural and safe cleaner for many surfaces around the house, including bathroom and kitchen faucet heads.
- Prepare a baking soda paste. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup of baking soda with 1/8 cup of warm water.
- Apply a coat of the baking soda mixture on the faucet head using an old toothbrush.
- Scrub the surface thoroughly and rinse.
- Apply a new layer of the baking soda paste and let it sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Soak the toothbrush in water and start scrubbing the faucet head.
- Rinse the faucet thoroughly, then pat it dry with a dry microfiber cloth.
How to Clean a Faucet Head With CLR
Curious how to clean sink faucet buildup with CLR? Cleaning a faucet head using CLR (calcium, lime, and rust remover) is a very straightforward process. But be sure to take the proper precautions and avoid spilling the product on your countertops if you have any type of natural stone countertops, as CLR can damage these surfaces, according to the manufacturer. For mild to minor mineral buildup, combine equal parts of CLR and warm water, mixed together. Apply this mixture to the faucet head using a brush and let it sit for two minutes. Rinse it thoroughly. For more difficult buildups, use the full strength of CLR without diluting it and follow the same steps you took for mild mineral accumulation.
How to Clean a Faucet Head Using Steam
If you own a steam cleaning machine, you can use it to clean your faucet head. The process is much faster than any other cleaning technique used to clean faucet heads. When you use steam to clean a faucet head, the heat and moisture loosen up the mineral deposits fairly quickly, making it easier to wipe them away. Additionally, the heat used in steam cleaning machines also helps kill germs and bacteria.
How to Clean a Faucet Aerator
If your water pressure is getting slow, there is a good chance that mineral deposits inside the faucet aerator are blocking the water flow. To clean a faucet aerator, you need to remove it from the faucet. Most bathroom sink faucets can be removed easily by hand; if not, you need to use a wrench or screwdriver to remove them. Use a rag or a microfiber cloth when using the wrench to protect the faucet material and avoid scratches. Once you remove the faucet aerator, immerse it in a mixture of half a cup of vinegar and water, and let it sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Then, using a toothbrush, scrub carefully and rinse with water for a minute. Lastly, put the faucet aerator back and run the water for another minute.
How do you clean buildup on faucet heads?
Don’t know how to remove hard water stains? You’ve come to the right place. Faucet heads are prone to hard water stains, white residue buildup, and calcium deposits, all of which are caused by minerals that naturally occur in water. The good news is that there are effective methods to remove the buildup.
You can clean buildup on faucet heads using vinegar or baking soda. The acidity of the vinegar helps break down the minerals, making it easy to brush and wipe away the mineral deposits. On the other hand, baking soda is a natural abrasive that helps remove buildup easily.
How to clean a faucet head without removing it?
You can clean a faucet head without removing it in two different ways. Create an equal mixture of vinegar and water, place it in a one-gallon Ziploc bag and tie it to the faucet body using a rubber band or a hair tie. The other option is to put the vinegar solution you created into a water spray and apply it directly to the faucet head. For both methods, leave the solution for at least 15 to 30 minutes before brushing and wiping the faucet head.
