Hard water is exceptionally harmful to the faucets. It will make your expensive faucet like an artifact from the movie Titanic. Many people become crazy as the hard water destroys valuable faucets. Mineral build-up slows the water stream. It also looks terrible over the faucet appliances. So what are the reason for it and how people should get rid of them quickly? Hard water contains different harmful mineral deposits. A high amount of dissolved minerals is found in hard water. Deposits are mainly caused by hard water. So, It’s important to know the answer to questions like; How to Clean Faucet Head?
Lets us follow the step-by-step instructions on removing mineral buildup on faucets and showerheads.
First step: Use of proper cleaning acid (Acidic liquids battles with deposits)
Acidic liquids are the best cleaning materials. It battles with mineral deposits. People like to clean with acidic substances. They consider it their best friend for cleaning action. Excess hard water develops calcium and minerals on the faucets and showerheads. So to clean those appliances, you need acid. Generally, the acid eats the minerals and calcium over the appliance. The faucet becomes shiny and smooth when it washed with acidic elements
The acidic household items for cleaning the mineral deposits pointed below-
- Lemon juice.
- White vinegar.
- CLR cleaner.
- Phosphoric acid cleaners.
- Sulfuric acid.
- Muriatic acid (powerful- use only for tough deposits) Mix 1 part muriatic acid with five parts water.
- Muriatic acid is excessively loud. It is used to clean tough deposits.
How to use muriatic acid effectively?
Answer: The user needs to mix 1 part of muriatic acid with five pieces of water.
Caution &Tips: Well ventilated room is required when using a robust acidic substance like muriatic acid. It will prevent physical harm to the people from acid.
Second step: Regular materials are to gather before cleaning
Basic things a person has to buy before starting for any cleaning. The additional elements a person must have been shown down-
- Gloves (we suggest PVC or neoprene gloves).
- Protective eye-wear.
- Sponge/toothbrush (use non-abrasive scrubbers/sponges).
- Plastic bag.
- Rubber band.
- Towel/rag.
- Pliers.
Third step: Effective cleaning of faucet aerator and showerhead.
The outside of the faucet was cleaned by arranging plastic-bag-over- the appliance. It removes the mineral deposits outwardly. Most DIY experts suggest the plastic bag technique for cleaning the outer part of the faucet.
The inside of the faucet is to clean by removing the faucet aerator or showerhead from its base. Thus it will prevent future clogs. A complete cleaning is required both inside and outside of the appliances.
Quick directions to remove both discussed under-
A practical way to remove a faucet aerator
The aerator is placed on the tip of the faucet head. To remove the aerator, a person needs to stand over the faucet. After that, the proper grip is required to remove the aerator. People also use pliers. A pair of pliers is also enough to remove the attachment. At last twist counterclockwise on the left side till the screw of the aerator gets off completely.
A person should keep track of the gaskets and even other components. It will help them to reattach everything in proper order after the task is completed.
A systematic way to remove a showerhead
Before removing the showerhead, you need to wrap a cloth, especially a towel-type cloth or rag around the shower. It will protect the metal of the fitting. Then take a pair of pliers. Grip the connector by using a hand or pliers. Twist the connector counterclockwise. All the processes were conducted by using a bare hand and nothing else.
Fourth step: Soaking fixtures in acid
After obliterating the aerator and showerhead, you have to put protective eyewear for safety. Then pour the cleaning agent into a bowl. According to your requirement, you can choose the cleaning agent. The fixtures are to be placed gently into the container with cleaner.
Strong acids are too diluted in the water. People have to pay attention to the direction on the label at the time of diluting the acid. They also need to judge the fixtures soaked in the water. Proper timing was maintained during soaking. So judge it by examining the installation under acidic water.
The faucet and shower fixture is to clean with cleaner. You have to fill a plastic bag with cleaner and secure it around the installation by using a rubber band. Similarly, follow the same diluting and timing rules.
Special note: Strong acids too used carefully. Muriatic acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and different types of strong acid should never be used on certain surfaces Labels given on the bottle. So read it before using it.
Soak an old towel or rag in vinegar and wrap around the base of the faucet. Then leave the towel or rag for an hour or two. At last scrub off the remaining build-up. In this way, mineral buildup gets removed from the base of the faucet.
Fifth step: Rinsing in water and scrubbing the faucet
Completing the soaking process, the faucet needs efficient scrubbing. Scrub the surface with a special cloth, sponge, or regular toothbrush. It will remove extra mineral deposits smoothly effectively. This step should not be ignored. The acid eats the metal. They should not keep for a long time. You have to do the scrubbing and rinsing with running water.
Sixth step: Reconnecting the fixtures
Appropriate re-connection is essential after cleaning the faucet. The owner of the faucet keeps the gasket and other components in a specific order for proper connection.
Prevent the mineral deposits from the buildup in the faucet
People invest in a water softening system for long-term benefit. It protects the faucet from the mineral deposit build-up. A water softening system generally softens the water of your home. It removes hard and damaging minerals like magnesium and calcium. The life of your faucet and appliances gets extended with the water softening system.
Conclusion
In the end, we hope that by following these steps you can quickly clean your faucet head efficiently. Because our team of experts analyzes and practically implements these steps and gets success at the end. So, If you follow these steps and do the same the result is you will get a clean faucet like the new one.