How To Clean Corrosion Off Bathroom Fixtures

How to Remove Calcium, Lime, and Rust From Stainless Steel

Have you ever seen those pictures of the antique artifacts that were left on the Titanic when it went down? Over time they became covered in layer upon layer of calcium, lime, and who knows what else. You don't want your sink to start looking like that! You use your sink when you want to make sure things are clean, right? Whether you're washing dishes, or even just washing your hands - you want them to feel clean and sanitized directly after. However, dirty faucets give the opposite impression of cleanliness.

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Every maid that we train through our Maid University here at You've Got Maids learns that the key to making a client feel absolutely comfortable in their freshly cleaned home is providing them with a spotless, sparkling bathroom. You're going to love seeing and feeling the difference of your faucets once you follow this easy process.

Why do these unsightly deposits happen?

Tap water carries traces of minerals depending on where it is sourced from, and it even accumulates these traces while simply flowing through old pipes on the way to your kitchen sink. When you're done washing your hands and the faucet has been turned off, there is still a thin coating of water on the outside of the sink. This water evaporates leaving whatever trace minerals it contains behind, right on the surface. These deposits are not always visibly offensive like calcium, lime, and rust can be. Over long periods of time, they will build slowly build up to the point of being visible to the human eye. If you benefit from following our easy methods to remove a very hard substance, check out our other easy cleaning methods on our exhaustive list, The Ultimate Guide to Naturally Cleaning Your Kitchen.

The Process:

You're going to want to use an acidic solution in order to break down that hardened calcium. The choice is all yours! Although, vinegar and lemon juice are by far the safest natural cleaning solutions to use in this context. Have some handy for the future steps. Make sure to wear some plastic latex gloves to protect your hands since acidic liquids have the potential to irritate your skin.
Start by turning on that dirty sink. You're going to want to get a wet kitchen rag and put some dish detergent on it. Give the faucet a thorough surface cleaning from top to bottom. Focus on the areas that water may commonly drip onto, as that is where it will evaporate and leave you with frustrating mineral deposits. This will clean off the basic stains on the exterior of the faucet, and work progressively towards polishing them right off.
Break out the vinegar or lemon juice. Wet a paper towel with your chosen acidic substance, try to get it really soaked, and then wipe the faucet down again. Wrap the paper towel tightly around problem areas and let it sit for a few hours.
Remove the paper towel from the faucet. Scrub the remaining stains with an old toothbrush - you can create a paste out of some baking soda mixed with just a touch of vinegar. This is naturally abrasive and is sure to do the trick.
If ALL else fails, fill a plastic bag with vinegar and tie it tightly around the faucet head with a rubber band and let it soak those stains away.

When all else fails:

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Our maids come into your home with a whole host of tools, and all the training needed to tackle even the toughest of jobs. They have been thoroughly trained to leave you with a sparkling home, and a smile on your face. You won't ever need to worry about the condition of the house when your friends and family are in your kitchen, or using your restroom. You'll know it's clean when You've Got Maids.