Have you noticed that your kitchen faucet is providing you with a low water flow these days? Or is spraying a lot of gunk and food articles whenever you turn it on?

If yes, then there is nothing to worry about because this is a common issue faced by most homeowners.

The amount of debris and dirt that your faucet can accumulate is certainly astounding but it is not impossible to keep it clean. However, you need to take more care of it and ensure that you clean it regularly.

In this article, we will help you in cleaning your kitchen faucet so that you don’t have to worry about irregular water flow or harmful germs which are likely to surround your regularly used faucet.

Things You Will Need

Cleaning Cloth
Water
Dish Soap
Distilled Vinegar
Non-abrasive cleaner
Drying cloth
Old toothbrush

Step 1: Understand Your Faucet’s Finish

The first thing that you need to do is to determine your kitchen faucet’s finish and then check the manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean it.

There are several types of kitchen faucet finishes available and some might require more care than others. Make sure you follow these special instructions and keep your faucet from getting damaged while you clean it.

Step 2: Perform Basic Cleaning

Next, you need to start with a simple cleaning of your kitchen faucet. This means getting rid of the soft and the hard stains, fingerprints, etc. This shouldn’t take a lot of time and can easily be performed with the help of a mild dish soap and wet cloth.

So, how do you start? Start by taking a wet cloth and wiping down your kitchen faucet’s surface to get rid of the gentle stains. Once this is done, you will find that your faucet looks relatively brighter and cleaner just like a new kitchen faucet.

In order to get rid of the harder stains, you will need the help of a gentle cleaner and a wet cloth. You can also use vinegar and water solution and cover the faucet surface with this cleaner or home solution.

Then use the wet cloth to wipe the faucet and rinse it off. One thing to keep in mind is that the cleaner might not suit your faucet material so check on a small portion before you move ahead with the cleaning.

Now, it is no surprise that your faucet is likely to be covered in germs and bacteria which is why you will also need to disinfect it.

For this, you can use bleach or a vinegar solution along with a wet rag. Make sure that you combine 1 tablespoon of bleach with a quarter of water when preparing the solution and always wear gloves when using it.

Once you have performed the basic cleaning and rinsed your faucet with water, you need to dry it with a dry cloth so that it doesn’t form any water stains on it.

Step 3: Get Rid of Buildup

I wish that cleaning a faucet was as easy as performing the basic cleaning tasks but in reality, it is not. Once you have done the basic cleaning, you will need to get rid of the various deposits and build up that coat the surface of your faucet.

If your faucet is covered with a reddish deposit then you will need to use lemon juice to get rid of the build up. For removing rust you will need to prepare a mixture of lemon juice with borax and then use a wet rag to eliminate the build up.

To get rid of greenish or bluish deposits, you will need a solution of equal parts water and ammonia. Wear a pair of gloves and use a rag to use this solution and then rinse off your faucet to remove the ammonia.

If somehow your faucet has a darker shade build up then cream of tartar can be quite effective in getting rid of it. Just mix the cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide and use a wet cloth to rub it on your faucet. Your faucet will start looking as good as new again.

Finally, if you see soap build up on your faucet then a vinegar and water solution can do wonders and can make your faucet shine again.

Step 4: Use Vinegar Solution for Intense Cleaning

Now that your faucet looks shiny and new again, you need to take care of the germs and the bacteria which are covering the faucet surface. Also, sometimes due to debris your faucet might provide you with slow water so you will need to perform an intense cleaning to fix this issue.

You will need to disassemble your kitchen faucet to perform this step so wrap a towel around your faucet filter. This will protect it from any scratches and then use a wrench to loosen it by turning it counterclockwise.

Next, take apart all the filter parts but remember that you understand how they fit together so that you can put them back together when reinstalling it later on.

Use a toothbrush to get rid of the debris from the filter. Also, put all the filter parts in vinegar and water solution so that any stuck debris or dirt will get removed from the inside.

Once it is done, rinse the filter parts with water, dry them up, and then put them back together. Now, reinstall your filter and check the water flow.

Note: If you cannot remove your faucet filter then simply fill a plastic bag with vinegar water solution and immerse the faucet in the solution.

Then, tie the bag around the faucet neck with a rubber or a string and let it stay this way for an hour before removing it and rinsing your faucet.

Step 5: Clean Around the Edges of the Kitchen Faucet

Once, the majority of cleaning is done you will need to clean the surrounding area of the faucet too. Use the toothbrush to clean around the edges with the help of a dish soap and water.

This is the place where the sink and the faucet will meet and is likely to contain a lot of stuck food items and debris.

When this is done, just rinse the area and wipe it dry with a dry cloth.

Step 6: Clean the Faucet Drain

An important part of cleaning a kitchen faucet is to clean its drain as well which is often the dirtiest of all.

Use a non-abrasive cleaner to clean the faucet drain but make sure you try it on a small portion first to check if it will cause any damage to the faucet finish.