Chrome taps look very elegant and neat when they’re clean. However, when covered in water spots and soap scum, they give your entire bathroom or kitchen a poorly kept look. Fear not, cleaning chrome plated taps is way easier than it seems.
If you:
- Have a few old taps which are in need of some serious cleaning
- Wonder what products will give you the best results
- Are looking for ways to maintain your chrome tap immaculate
Then read along!
Important: chrome is a soft metal and thus can be easily scratched. For that reason, never use abrasive materials when scrubbing stains off it. If you decide to use a commercial product, be sure it’s suitable for chrome.
How to clean chrome taps with soap and water
If your chrome taps only need a light cleaning from dust, then do the following.
- Mix dish soap and warm water into a small container.
- Dip a cloth or non-abrasive sponge into the mix.
- Scrub the chrome and rinse the cloth frequently.
- Finally, rinse the taps from any residue with clean water.
How to clean chrome taps with lemon
Lemons can clean plenty of items in your home, and the dirty chrome taps are no different. You will only need several lemons and a microfibre cloth. Usually, 2 or 3 lemons should be enough for a regular-sized home.
- Scrub the tap using the pith of the lemon and apply pressure.
- Change lemons as frequently as needed.
- Wipe away any residue with a microfibre cloth.
Tip: The lemon acid also works great against limescale build-up. All you need to do is dilute some freshly squeezed lemon juice in the same amount of water. Dip a clean rag into it and tie the rag around the tap. Return after a few hours and scrub the tap with a non-abrasive rag.
How to clean chrome taps with baking soda
If your chrome taps have some tough stains, then baking soda should remove them. For this job, besides sodium bicarbonate, you will also need distilled water and some microfibre cloths.
- Make a paste – mix a tablespoon of distilled water and baking soda. If it’s too runny, you’ve added too much distilled water. To make it even, add more baking soda.
- Spread the solution on your chrome taps.
- Wipe away – applying gentle pressure, wipe away the solution.
- Rinse – rinse the taps with distilled water. Don’t use regular water, as it will leave new mineral deposits.
- Buff – buff the taps with a fresh, clean microfibre cloth.
How to clean chrome taps with white vinegar
Much like baking soda, white vinegar is the other most popular and almost universal ingredient in your home.
- Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water in a small container.
- Dip a clean rag into the solution.
- Tie the rag around the spout with a rubber band. Leave it there for about 15 minutes.
- Clean the tap base and handles by using an old toothbrush dipped into the solution.
- Remove the rag around the spout and wipe it down with a fresh dry cloth.
A few words on rust spots. Rust spots are easy to remove from chrome surfaces. All you need to do is crumble a piece of aluminium foil, dip it in some water and scrub with medium force. Some people use white vinegar instead of water and that works too.
Maintenance tips
If you live in an area with hard water, you will get limescale build-up on your taps over time. The best solution is to install a water softener, but that’s a large investment. Until that day comes, however, keep the shine on your chrome-plated taps by using any one of these 4 ingredients. Use them after you’ve cleaned your chrome plated taps.
- Baby oil – squirt some baby oil on a cloth and buff up your chrome taps to give them a shiny finish. The oil will also ward off water spots.
- Flour – rub the chrome-plated taps with flour and rinse with water. Then buff with a soft dry cloth.
- Wax paper – rub your cleaned taps with wax paper. Sounds crazy, but the wax will protect the taps from water spots and fingerprints.
- Toothpaste – if you have spots on your tap that reduce to shine, buff them with toothpaste and a dry microfibre cloth.
Hire professionals
If you prefer to spend your free time on more pleasurable activities rather than scrubbing your taps, then hire professionals. ShiningOven works with experienced and fully-equipped local cleaners. They will make your bathroom spotless and clean. You can also hire us, to clean your entire home on a regular basis, should you need it. Get in touch today and forget about breaking a sweat whilst cleaning.