How To Clean Calcium Buildup on Faucet?

Kitchen faucets give an elegant look to the sink area. To maintain their look, they require cleaning. Some faucets require special care to maintain their finish. Calcium buildup on the faucet makes it look ugly.

I’ll show you how to clean calcium buildup on faucet. Calcium buildup is a common issue in the hard water area. Over time, hard water leaves stains on the faucet. It looks unsightly on the faucet and also often clogs the faucet head.

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What is Calcium Buildup?

Calcium buildup is built due to minerals in the water. When groundwater passes through limestone, calcium and other minerals mix into the water. They increase the concentration of minerals in the water.

Minerals in water are good for your health but they are not good for faucet finish. They can make spots on the faucet finish. To wash dishes, we use soap. When hard water comes into contact with the soap creates a white film on the faucet. It makes the faucet look foggy and cloudy.

Calcium buildup is a common concern in most homes. No matter how hard you wipe the faucet after daily tasks, it is impossible to get rid of calcium buildup. You scrub more and more but calcium buildup reappears every time.

How To Clean Calcium Buildup on Faucet With Vinegar and Soda?

Removing calcium buildup is not difficult if you know the right process. As soon as you see calcium buildup, start removing it. Otherwise, it will create corrosion and damage the faucet finish and its parts.

There are some non-toxic cleaners to clean hard water calcium buildup without damaging the finish.

Use vinegar or baking soda to remove the buildup from the faucet. Here is the process on how to clean calcium buildup from the faucet.

You need to gather these things to make the cleaning process easy.

Baking soda
White vinegar
Clean cloth
Safety gloves
Toothbrush

Calcium buildup stains occur on the faucet surface when you left the water to dry. White vinegar is safe to use. Take white vinegar into the bowl with the same amount of water. Soak a cloth in vinegar to saturate and drape over stains on the faucet.

Let it remain on the faucet for half an hour. Use a clean cloth to scrub away dissolved deposits. Maybe some buildup stains are still there, rub the toothbrush on the stains to remove them. At last, dry the faucet thoroughly with a paper towel.

Vinegar is also helpful to open clogged holes in the aerator. The same process you can follow with baking soda will give the same result or you may use hard water taps to prevent buildup.

Regular Cleaning Is Essential

To keep the faucet finish as new, regular cleaning is essential. Regular cleaning keeps the faucet finish free from stains and calcium buildup. It also prevents corrosion. Don’t let sit water on the faucet. Water will leave stains on the faucet.

You need to keep the faucet free from dust mites. Dust mites can damage the faucet body over time. Most time we touch the faucet handle with dirty hands and don’t clean it. With time, this small habit will cost you a dull faucet finish.

Things To Avoid During Cleaning Faucet

There are some cleaners that can damage the faucet finish. Alcohol and bleach-based cleaners are not good for the faucet. They should be avoided when cleaning a faucet.

All products that claim to remove rust and corrosion are not safe to use on the faucet to remove calcium buildup. Cleaners that contain hydrochloric or phosphoric acid are not good to use. To remove buildup, you should not use stiff brushes. It will make a scratch on the faucet body.

How To Clean Stubborn Calcium Buildup on Faucet?

People who get their water directly from a well are most affected by the calcium buildup. Sometimes stubborn calcium buildups can be tricky to eliminate. Have stubborn buildup on the faucet and want to get rid of it? Here is what you should follow.

For stubborn stains, a stronger cleaner is required. As we told you earlier, vinegar cleans the calcium buildup. Increase the quantity of vinegar and use less water. It will make the mixture stronger.
Increase the soaking time of the vinegar. Let them soak in vinegar for more than an hour. Either you can spray vinegar on the faucet or submerge a cloth into vinegar and cover it on all stains. The longer you soak, the more it will have an effect on the faucet.
To make the mixture more powerful, you may add lemon juice or baking soda to the vinegar. Baking soda and lemon juice will also help to remove buildup.
If still buildup is not gone, try to find CLR cleaner. It will be available at the nearest plumbing store or grocery store. It has the ability to remove calcium and lime buildup from the faucet. It can also remove rust.

How To Soften Water To Prevent Forming Calcium Buildup?

The best way to prevent forming of calcium buildup on faucets, sinks, or other kitchen appliances, you need to soften the water. For this, a water filter is the right choice. You can purchase water filters for only one faucet or an entire home. Here are some most popular filters

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is a popular filter. It removes mineral deposits from the water and makes water drinkable. It works on high pressure to strip the water which removes mineral deposits and leaves only pure water.

Ion-Exchange

Ion exchange is one of the most used water-softening systems. This water softener works on a salt-based system.

In Ion-exchange filtration, it replaces hard minerals with sodium ions. It removes the hardness of the water. So, there is no calcium buildup on the faucet. It is a reliable water filtration that works longer than other filtration.

Salt-Free

It works opposite the Ion-exchange filter. A salt-free filter doesn’t remove minerals from the water. Instead of removing them, it changes the behavior of minerals so they don’t stick to the surface of the faucet. This filter doesn’t work on salt so it requires less maintenance.

Magnetic

This is a new type of softener. It is comparatively cheap than others so people are using it more than others. It works on the magnetic field mechanism.

Final Words

Calcium buildup is the main reason why a faucet loses its sparkle. But it’s not difficult to make the faucet shiny again. Removing buildup from the faucet takes only a little time and less effort. Now that you learned how to clean calcium buildup on faucet to make its finish as new. I recommend using a water softener to remove calcium minerals from the water.

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