# Cleaning a faucet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 6, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588 "2015-12-06T02:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/1 "2015-12-06T02:32:43Z")
The bathroom faucet has some scaly stuff on it. I’ve tried scrubbing with a Dobie pad and soap, and with a Dobie pad and CLR. I thought the CLR would work for sure. How do I get this stuff off? Mrs. L.A. said she’d heard something about a crock pot? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/2 "2015-12-06T02:38:24Z")
Let the CLR soak. My suggestion is to pour some in a plastic cup and tape it to the faucet so the scaled area is under liquid. Let set a few hours, then attack with a Brillo pad. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/3 "2015-12-06T03:19:28Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Let the CLR soak. My suggestion is to pour some in a plastic cup and tape it to the faucet so the scaled area is under liquid. Let set a few hours, then attack with a Brillo pad. The thing about CLR is that IIRC it says not to use it on brass. I’d use an SOS pad, but I think it would scratch the finish. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/4 "2015-12-06T03:23:52Z")
Years ago when I had well water my shower head got clogged. I put vinegar in a baggy, attached it to the shower head with a rubber band, and let it soak overnight. The shower head sparkled, and all the crud clogging the holes was gone. ---
**Author:** ![Carlarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Carlarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carlarm)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/5 "2015-12-06T03:35:26Z")
The Brillo pad will scratch the metal. I don’t recommend this. Scrub with an old toothbrush. Don’t get the CLR on your hands else it will soon burn your skin. Wear gloves and eye protection. Note that using CLR a lot on chrome will eventually remove the chrome plating. Do this sparingly. ---
**Author:** ![Lucas\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucas_jackson/32/303_2.png) [@Lucas\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucas_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/6 "2015-12-06T04:57:05Z")
Soak some paper towels in vinegar and wrap them around the faucet. Let soak. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/7 "2015-12-06T05:30:49Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Mrs. L.A. said she’d heard something about a crock pot? That has been mentioned on TV (Rehab Addict - Nicole Curtis). She recommends an old crock pot (preferably one from a yard sale - never one you want to cook food in again) and putting various painted hardware items in there with plain water. [Google link](https://www.google.com/search?q=nicole+curtis+crock+pot&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/8 "2015-12-07T03:10:46Z")
Another vote for paper toweling to hold _whatever_ in contact with the faucet. And: Next time you are in a drugstore (or a real tool or hardware store), buy latex/nitrile ‘exam’ gloves. Use them whenever handling stuff you don’t want on your hands. ---
**Author:** ![NinthAcolyte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ninthacolyte/32/13676_2.png) [@NinthAcolyte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinthAcolyte)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/9 "2015-12-07T05:28:07Z")
And another vote here for vinegar in a cup or baggie taped around the faucet to keep the scaly gunk submerged. ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cleaning-a-faucet/739588/10 "2015-12-07T21:49:31Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > That has been mentioned on TV (Rehab Addict - Nicole Curtis). She recommends an old crock pot (preferably one from a yard sale - never one you want to cook food in again) and putting various painted hardware items in there with plain water. > > [Google link](https://www.google.com/search?q=nicole+curtis+crock+pot&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8) Not really a solution for the OPs question but I can whole heartedly recommend this solution for removing paint from hardware. We bought an old Victorian home about 18 months ago. It is a huge house with lots and lots of doors which means lots and lots of hardware. I’ve now cleaned almost all of it this way. I bought a cheap $15.00 crockpot that is dedicated solely to this use. I throw in a couple handfuls of hinges, door knobs, strike plates, pocket door pulls, etc. into the pot. Let is cook on high for 6-8 hours and decades and layers of paint practically falls off. A little scrubbing with a nylon brush gets out any flecks left within some of the decorative detailing. I love me some Nicole Curtis. No seriously, I love her and want her to love me… and finish restoring my house… while giving me crazy brown-chicken-brown-cow loving’ every night. Mmmm… Nicole. (That last part was humor people. Yep, just mostly humor.)