Chrome is a popular choice for bathrooms due to its elegant, shiny surface, but maintaining its brilliance over time requires proper care and attention. Without suitable care, there is a hefty risk of issues like rust or limescale ruining their appearance. So, the sooner you know how to look after your chrome fittings, the better your taps will continue to look.
Whether you want to maintain your bathroom’s shine or enhance its style, this guide provides essential tips for keeping chrome fixtures like taps looking like new. Let’s explore how to preserve their beauty and functionality.
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How can you start caring for chrome bathroom fittings?
The best way to care for chrome bathroom fittings is to prevent them from getting dirty in the first place. This is because the dirtier the chrome, the more effort and force you’ll need to use to clean. Thus, the higher your risk of damaging the chrome finish. This includes things such as:
- Rusting
- Pitting
- Flaking
- Limescale buildup
So, what can you do to prevent these?
Always wipe chrome taps dry after use
Chrome is pretty durable, but lingering moisture on the surface can cause it to rust, pit and flake.
Always wipe away and dry any water that sits on the chrome after every use using a microfibre cloth. Do not use abrasive materials, as these can scratch the tap.
Clean up the chrome with warm, soapy water
The moment you start to notice a dulling of the chrome, we recommend washing it with warm soapy water (washing-up liquid also works), cleaning the area with a soft cloth and then drying it after use.
Use baby oil to maintain the chrome’s shine
Baby oil is very good for cleaning chrome and making it shine. Just dab some onto a soft cloth or cotton wool and clean. This method of cleaning works wonders, removing stains from the chrome and bringing up a nice shine.
Trust in vinegar
When it comes to cleaning chrome in the bathroom, vinegar is a versatile cleaner. Thanks to its acetic acid content, it is effective for cleaning a wide range of surfaces, especially those with limescale. Whilst chrome is a great material for bathroom fittings, if you live in a hard water area and fail to dry it after every use, then you will soon see that limescale can quickly build up on these fittings. You can check the hard water level for your area on the Aqua Cure website.
One popular method to remove stubborn limescale is to soak a soft cloth in a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and wrap it around the fitting. Leave it in position for 1 hour and squeeze it every so often. As taps are quite fiddly, use an elastic band around the cloth to keep it in place. This will cocoon the tap, helping to tackle the stains head-on.
You can also place the vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the area you want to clean. Then use a soft cloth to clean and buff. If you don’t have a spray bottle, pour the vinegar on the soft cloth, then clean and buff.
This cleaning tip will make your chrome sparkle and shine.
When you have rust on a chrome tap
Chrome itself won’t rust. So any rusting on your bathroom fittings will be a result of something foreign settling on the tap or as a result of scratches embedded deep in the chrome.
A simple way to try to remove this is with aluminium foil. Using soapy water, scrunch the foil into a ball and gently scrub the rust spot to remove it. If you find this doesn’t work, try substituting the soapy liquid for Coca-Cola, as this is slightly more acidic. So it will have a more aggressive approach.
Warning: Removing rust this way will preserve the chrome, but rubbing it too vigorously risks exposing it to oxygen, worsening the issue by creating more opportunity for the tap to rust and pit.
Don’t forget to check out our handy guide to cleaning and caring for ceramic bathroom basins.
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