To many individuals, corrosion of faucets has been a great challenge. It is caused by several factors including, hard water and environmental factors such as temperature.
The rust makes your faucets seem dusty. Due to the corrosion, your faucet’s performance may be affected. Additionally, it brings about alteration to the faucet appearance.
Are you worried that you have to replace your corroded faucets? Here are several tips on how to perform a cleaning to the rusty faucets.
Table of Contents
Best Ways to Clean Corroded Faucet:
Method 1: Use of Undiluted White Vinegar Solution
According to studies, vinegar is among the best cleaning agents. Firstly, pour the vinegar solution into a small basin. Dismantle your faucet if it is possible and soak its rusted parts in the solution.
After10 minutes, you can get the soaked parts, wash using clean water and dry them. If you are unable to dismantle the faucet, you don’t have to give up. Follow these simple steps for cleaning;
- Pour the white vinegar (one or two cups) into a plastic bag.
- Wrap the bag filled with vinegar on the spout. Make sure the vinegar flows into one corner by holding it at an appropriate angle. It should slide over the fixture properly and submerge the muzzle. Leave it for 24 hours to achieve the best results.
- Untie the bag
- Once 24 hours are over, you can do away with the bag and its contents. You can pour the vinegar into the drain as it got no effect. Nevertheless, it can help cleaning down the drain.
- Scrub
- Get an old toothbrush after removing the bag. Start scrubbing your facets hard. Put more effort on the most corroded areas and ensure you scourall parts.
- Rinse
- Get a piece of clean cloth or a towel and dip it in cold water. Rinse the faucet until all the dirt is gone. Get another dry cloth and dry the faucet.
Method 2: Use of Oxalic Acid
Oxalic acid is known to clean corrosion on surfaces for an extended period. Make a diluted mixture of oxalic acid and water (mix 250ml water with 25 ml acid). Pour out the mix on your corroded surface and leave it for around 30 minutes.
After the set time, wash the faucet thoroughly. Lastly, get a piece of clean cloth and dry the faucet. When cleaning with oxalic acid, you need to be cautious as it is a potent chemical agent. Wear protective clothing, probably rubber gloves, to avoid hurting your hands.
Additionally, make sure you do not breathe in the acidic fumes as it can cause you excessive health problems. The use of oxalic acid brings out a clean faucet, which gives it a good appearance and improves its effectiveness.
Method 3: Use of WD-40
WD-40 can be used for several reasons in our day-to-day activities. In its numerous purposes, it is considered an essential treatment to corroded faucets. Firstly, wipe out any dirt that could be on the tap with a clean cloth. Spray all over the rusty faucet with WD-40.
After that, scrub the faucet with a clean wire brush. Get clean water and rinse the faucet. Lastly, dry the faucet with a dry cloth or towel. WD-40 will leave your faucet looking almost new again.
You can get it in most shops; therefore, grab yourself one and see the significant change in your faucets. Nevertheless, you can always apply it on the taps to prevent corrosion from retaking place.
Method 4: Use of Citric Acid
You can acquire citric acid in any shop at any given time. It has been confirmed to be an effective chemical to clean corroded objects and surfaces over time.
Get a plastic container and pour in your citric acid. Add a little amount of hot water to the citric acid. Pour it out on your corroded faucet and leave it for around 45 minutes.
Being highly corrosive, do not handle it with bare hands. Wear rubber gloves and scrub the faucet surface thoroughly. Once done with scrubbing, rinse it with clean water.
Dry up the faucet with a clean cloth. Compare the condition of your faucet before and after. You will realize that citric acid does wonders to your faucet.
Method 5: Use Lemon Juice Paste
To acquire the lemon juice paste, you need salt and lemon juice. It would help if you cleaned the faucets first by removing the loose debris and extreme dirt.
You can use a clean cloth or warm water to clean. After the cleaning, sprinkle salt over the corroded faucet and make sure it is fully covered. Once done with salt sprinkling, squeeze your lemon juice all over the faucet surface. Leave the paste for 2-3 hours before cleaning.
After the time elapses, clean by gently brushing the areas with a soft brush, wipe the paste off and using a clean cloth, and dry it off. You can do this repeatedly to acquire the best results.
Method 6: Use of Baking Soda
Baking soda has been used over the years for various reasons in household activities. It includes cleaning corroded faucets. It enables you to clean the exterior and exterior parts of the faucets.
For it to be the best use, you need to disconnect the tap from the pipe. Acquire the right tools first to disassemble the faucet.
Ensure that you leave the faucet open and it is set upside down. Get a small amount of baking soda and pour it on the exterior and the interiors too. Brush the surface and the interior using a brush. Using clean water, wash it and fit it on the pipe again.
Alternatively, make a paste of warm water and baking soda. Apply it to the corroded faucet and let it rest for around ten minutes. Get an old toothbrush and scrub on the taps keenly to remove the dirt.
Once done with the brushing, rinse the faucets with clean water. Get a clean cloth and dry the faucets once done. With this, your corroded faucet will acquire a new good look. You can perform this repeatedly to ensure that the faucets do not corrode more.
Method 7: Use of Aluminum Foil
Rubbing your faucets with aluminum foil has been confirmed as a great way to clean corroded faucets. Get an aluminum foil and ball it up to medium size.
Dip the balled-up foil in the water on the tap. When dipped in water, it will gently scrub the rusted areas.
Additionally, aluminum removes the rust through a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction between aluminum and the components forming corrosion brings about its removal.
You can use the method repeatedly as it is time conservative and incredibly reliable.
Conclusion
Corroded faucets can be annoying to a great extent. It ranges from being less useful to have an appearance that’s not appealing. Some people will even opt to replace the corroded faucets with new ones.
Replacing the taps to get new ones can be expensive, which you may not be able to do at the moment.
When faced with the challenge of a corroded faucet, the above tips can help you out. They involve both chemical and homemade aspects to perform the cleaning. Choose any of the discussed methods suitable for you and see the significant difference in your faucets within a short period.
