How To Properly Clean Your Kitchen Faucet Head

For even the most diligent cleaners among us, some areas simply get overlooked. Sometimes, there are just spots in your kitchen you don't think to clean. One of these zones might be your kitchen sink, as some may figure it's getting cleaned multiple times a day with run-off soap and water; when in reality, all the food being washed or washed off of plates can make the sink one of the kitchen's biggest hotbeds of bacteria. But even when you start incorporating sink-cleaning into your routine, you might still be missing a part of the sink that needs to be cleaned: the faucet head.

If it's been a while, your sink's faucet head can be one of the toughest spots in your kitchen to clean — but there are effective ways to get it done, and then you can make your life easy by keeping it clean regularly going forward.

For the most intensive clean, reach for white vinegar. This is powerful enough to fight build-up from lime, calcium, and hard water residue. Mix the vinegar with equal parts water. If you can remove your faucet head, pop it into a bowl and submerge it in the mixture. If you can't, pour the vinegar and water into a plastic bag and fit it around the faucet head, secured by a rubber band. Let it sit for about an hour. Then, run water through the faucet head and rinse.

Some faucet finishes may not react well to vinegar's acid, so the first time, test this process for a few minutes. For more delicate materials, only leave the vinegar on for half an hour. If stubborn spots remain after the vinegar soak, use an old toothbrush for a close scrub. If your faucet head situation is less dire or your faucet is a material that won't handle vinegar well, you can clean with steam. Use a handheld steamer with a soft-bristle brush, or a gentle sponge with steam.

You'll know a deep clean is necessary if the faucet's water stream is spraying in different directions or running slowly. You may also see that hard water residue or lime build-up, or notice black slime, which is oxidized manganese. Most tap water has traces of manganese; this is safe, but if it builds up on your faucet head and then gets into your water, there can be health risks. You don't want any of the residue that can form on your faucet head anywhere near your drinking water or clean dishes.

An extra step to take when you spot these signs is unscrewing the faucet head's aerator and tackling build-up with a toothpick. Going forward, this chore doesn't have to be as intensive if you quickly wipe the faucet head with a rag after each use and clean it with mild dish soap and a soft brush monthly.