How to Clean a Faucet Head​

We’ll be the first to admit that faucet heads don't get cleaned every time we wipe off water spots and germs in the kitchen or bathroom—but it could be.

Mineral buildup and grime are natural in most home water systems; not many of us have a whole-house filtration unit. When those deposits build up, they can clog your faucet head, which slows your water flow, causes your sprayer to blast in odd directions and even affects how your tap water tastes.

You’re probably more likely to pay attention to the tiny nozzles of your showerhead. Those can also get clogged over time, especially in homes with hard water. The same thing happens in your faucets.

The good news is that learning how to clean a faucet head doesn’t take much time or effort. Here's what you can do to restore steady pressure and keep your kitchen or bathroom faucet working like it should.

What the Causes Buildup in a Faucet Head

Most issues come from mineral deposits, mainly calcium and lime. These minerals are left behind in areas you're not cleaning well enough. As water dries, it hardens inside the spray holes and around the aerator.

If you’ve ever noticed white crust around your faucet, that’s your sign to look deeper. Soap residue and small debris can add to the problem, especially in a kitchen sink, where grease and food particles add to the buildup of particles in and around the area.

Bathroom fixtures deal with hard water stains and similar buildup, just from different sources. Toothpaste, soap and splashes from daily use can leave behind residue that dulls the finish and clogs the flow, even if you don’t think that it’s splashing up into the end of the faucet. That’s why knowing how to clean bathroom faucet parts is just as useful as maintaining your kitchen sink.

How to Clean a Faucet Head

Our kitchen sink faucet is constantly pulled downwards, blasting cookware and dinner plates at close contact. It’s no wonder it gets so dirty.

To clean it, you don’t need special tools or strong chemicals. Most of the time, white vinegar is enough to break down mineral buildup.

If the faucet head unscrews:

1. Start by checking if your faucet head and aerator detach from the faucet. Many pull-down models do, which makes cleaning easier. If possible, unscrew it.
2. Fill a small bowl with white vinegar.
3. Soak it in the vinegar for 20 minutes.
4. Use an old toothbrush to gently scrub the nozzles or visible screens filtering the head of the faucet.
5. Rinse the faucet with warm water and reattach.

If your faucet head doesn’t come off, you can still clean it in place:

1. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar.
2. Leaving the head of the faucet in place, slip the baggie over the faucet head.
3. Secure it with a rubber band.
4. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the bag.
6. Use an old toothbrush to gently loosen any remaining buildup; check both rubbery nozzles and for any filter screens.
7. Run hot water to flush it out.

Repeat these steps if the buildup is heavy. Note that 20 minutes might not be long enough if your faucet head has never been cleaned before.

Steam helps with stubborn buildup:

If the mineral deposits won’t clear after a vinegar soak, don’t turn to harsh chemicals. Instead, use a steam cleaner with a microfiber cloth to help loosen it.

1. Turn on a steam cleaner, such as the one you use on garments, to heat its microfiber cloth.
2. Hold the steaming, hot cloth up to the bottom of your faucet head.
3. Let the steam permeate for 30 seconds to infiltrate into the faucet head and its aerator.
4. Use a dry soft-bristle brush or an old toothbrush to clean away visible debris.
5. Turn on the faucet to blast water and loose minerals from the faucet head.

How to Keep Faucets Clean

Once you’ve tackled the buildup, it’s easier to keep things in good shape with light upkeep.

• Wipe down the faucet head every few days with a damp cloth. This stops residue from hardening. For deeper cleaning, a quick vinegar soak once a month can prevent major buildup.
• Use warm, soapy water to clean the bottom of the faucet head every week. It keeps mineral deposits to a minimum.
• Soak your faucet head in vinegar more often. If it has a removable aerator, soak that, too. A monthly soak (even quarterly, who are we kidding) goes a long way at minimizing buildup.

Is Lemon Juice Safe?

Yes, but we didn’t find it to be as effective. Lemon juice works like white vinegar because it’s acidic and can dissolve mineral deposits, but you need a lot of fluid for a soak. Scrubbing with lemon juice alone tends to be less efficient.

Some people also like to use baking soda for scrubbing, but it’s not powerful enough on its own.

Whatever you choose, avoid harsh chemical cleaners or bleach when you clean a faucet head because they can damage finishes and seals.