Faucet Facts: Are Brass Faucets Hard to Keep Clean?

Many people are drawn to the old and classy look of brass faucets. They have a timeless quality that looks good with any sink in any room of the house. However, some people shy away from adding these to the decor of their home because they are concerned about the perceived work needed to keep them looking as good as new.

Are brass faucets hard to keep clean? You may be surprised to learn that their maintenance is not as overwhelming or challenging as one might think.

Read on to learn all about the care and polishing of brass faucets in this informative post, and you may soon find yourself remodeling your home and replacing all of your home’s faucets with new brass ones.

The Allure of Brass Faucets

Brass is a metal that has been used for hundreds of years. Although it has gone in and out of popularity over the past few centuries, more and more people today are installing brass faucets in their homes because they love their classic and elegant look. Brass bathroom faucets will make the room look more welcoming, brass kitchen faucets will take you back in time with every use, and even brass faucets in the laundry room are a beautiful touch. Click for more ideas here. 

Some people love the fact that brass tarnishes with use. For them, this tarnish merely adds to the rustic and ancient quality of this metal. Others, however, find tarnished brass to look dirty; they wish to keep the brass shiny and glowing at all times.

Fortunately, with proper care and attention, this is possible. But, if you find the maintenance to be a time-consuming chore, consider letting your brass faucet tarnish. You may find that you like the aged look more than you thought at first.

How to Keep Your Brass Faucets Looking Great

If you do want your brass faucets to stay shiny, though, the chore of keeping them that way is not difficult.

First, you can keep your brass faucets looking great by taking the time to wipe them down daily. Water droplets combined with dust and dirt are what will make brass faucet tarnish, so if you keep your faucet dry after each use, you’ll be amazed at how much longer they will glow. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe the water off your faucet; abrasive materials will scratch the metal.  

There are a wide variety of commercially available brass cleaners on the market and these have been formulated to keep your brass shiny and bright. Some of the chemicals within these cleaners are caustic so it’s wise to wear gloves when you apply them to your faucet. Using brass cleaner on a regular basis will help keep your faucet looking new, and some will even return your faucet to nearly new if you’ve let the tarnish build up over time.

If you don’t have any brass cleaner, you might consider trying ketchup instead. This tip may sound unconventional at first, but the citric acid in ketchup will work wonders in fighting tarnish. Put a little on a soft cloth and massage it into the brass. You’ll be amazed a the results.

Brass Faucets Aren’t Hard to Clean

As you can see, brass faucets aren’t hard to keep clean; in fact, they are quite easy to maintain. If you like the look of brass faucets, what’s holding you back from installing them in every sink in your home? Now that you know how to clean them, you might as well take the leap. 

If you want to read more great articles about plumbing, pipes, and faucets, check out the Plumbing section of our site for more!