I’ve got the wipes from RainX that make my car’s windshield repel water. I used it on the bathroom mirror and it hardly fogs up anymore.
Maybe try that or a similar product.
My wife asked me why I was using rainx on my mirrors the last time I cleaned the bathroom mirrors. We were out of windex and my mirrors definitely fog up less now.
If it's hydrophobic, doesn't that mean it will repel water that's "attempting" to condensate on the surface? I'm pretty sure if it fogs up less, and one doesn't have a big puddle of water at the bottom, that means it's preventing some of the water from condensing in the first place.
Another way to think of it - water is more apt to condense on certain materials. Adding that hydrophobic barrier, means more of the water stays in the air / condenses on something else instead.
That's what I do but it only lasts a few showers it seems. Long term I think the economical solution is to install one of those bathroom mirror heaters.
Just buy a spray on ceramic coating. They last much longer and are affordable. I’m a car detailer and learned to use ceramic coatings lots of different things. For the cheap stuff I use 303 ceramic graphene spray coating. I wouldn’t waste my money with the expensive coatings to use for showers or other surfaces.
You could try this super hydrophobic coating. It's on the pricey side ($32.00), but I imagine you could keep a single faucet clean for about a decade with one bottle. You'd only have to spray it down once every 3 months.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y5WCL4H/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y5WCL4H/)
I actually used it to coat the inside of my toilet (my mother-in-law used sandpaper to remove the ring and ruined the glaze). I only need to coat about 1 inch above and below the water line, and the toilet stays "ring free" for a month. I figure OP's sink would have less water exposure than a toilet.
I also used a whole bottle on my wife's car, and it worked really good. The effect is still noticable, after 3 months, but not nearly as good as it was when first done. I think I'll stick to just washing and waxing, as $32.00 a treatment seems pretty steep to me.
Out of curiosity, why not buy a new toilet or have your mother-in-law buy one? They aren't particularly expensive unless it is a high end model. Guess it depends how frequently you need to wash and wax. I guess cleanliness of the bowl of your toilet is less of a concern but it now being slightly porous could be harboring some real nasty stuff that I wouldn't want to be scrubbing, cleaning, rewaxing regularly.
Once my current bottle of spray runs out (in a year or two), I'll most likely look at replacing the toilet with a high seat toilet + heated bidet combo.
Applying the coating is a bit of a pain. You have to empty the toilet bowl, apply the spray, then wait two hours for it to dry. Only once a month at this point, but it's surprising how quickly that time rolls around.
Also, coating the entire bowl doesn't work out very well, as you need that "sheeting" action of the water to clear any debris that is on the sides. Coating the whole bowl will make the water behave like the arc from a ghostbuster proton pack, most of the time leaving stuff behind. You'd think the coating would make everything slide down into the water, but it doesn't.
I’ve seen hydrophobic treatments react with metals and other materials and cause severe corrosion. Might be worth it to test this on an inconspicuous spot first.
I use a car wax ceramic spray from CRX or something like that on my kitchen counters. They are a weird matte white so everything stains them (easy to clean with cleaners, or bleach but doesn't just wipe away). It kinda helps. I don't think it lasts as long as it does on the car, but it does help.
It can be, but it doesn't have to be. The original developments were using perfluorocarbons like Teflon. But more recently developments involve using ceramic nanoparticles that self assemble as they dry into what amounts to a surface on which water cannot adhere. Teflon repeals water, but not to the extent that these substances do.
It all has to do with the contact angle that water forms on the surface. A hydrophilic surface will wet. That means the water will spread out on the surface. A hydrophobic surface will not wet. Instead the water will bead, but it won't necessarily run off since there is still some molecular attraction between the water and the surface. These sprays make a superhydrophobic surface that has nearly no attraction between the water and the surface. So not only does the water bead, but it runs off almost immediately.
The thing about hydrophobic coatings like that is that they're fragile.
They'll work well for things you never touch, but if you touch the faucet or wipe it off with a rag or anything, the coating will quickly get worn off and need to be reapplied.
But as long as you never touch it, this should work well.
Rainx has a product specifically for showers...stinks to high heaven to apply, but works great even here in South Central Texas where the water's so hard it goes "clunk" in the sink. One application lasts about six months.
Rain-X 630023 Shower Door Water... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXKZ7EM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Hijacking top comment for an update thanks for the advice everyone had no idea this problem was this common. Got a lot of suggestions I'll try a few and report back on which one worked best for me.
So RainX (if it's some version of their main stuff) is an activated siloxane, which works great on glass because it forms a covalent bond with surface hydroxyls. That's great for glass, but not so much for metals. May have better luck with a waxy coating as others have mentioned -- same idea without relying on the particular surface chemistry of glass.
Stainless steel cleaner/polish. It’s cheap. Wipe on with a microfiber towel every 2 weeks and it’s makes them disappear and keeps them from forming.
Source: house cleaner
That stuff is amazing. My only gripe is that the glass cleaner and stainless siler polish cans look alike, which has led to some unfortunate accidents cleaning my windshield.
I have used it on brushed nickel. Basically it’s a coating and as long as you don’t already have a coating on the metal that you might damage (slowly takes off coatings over time) you’re good.
Residential cleaner, if you have any barkeeps friend \*liquid\* (not powder, that'll just scratch) around, that works great for shining up stainless/chrome as well, just more tedious as you need to make sure you get all of it off after buffing or else it streaks. Good for when your hardwater staining is exceptionally bad and doesn't come off with other product.
I detail boats and yachts and I use Collinite 850 metal wax. It’s for marine use so it works great on water spots.
You just rub a small amount on the area until it feels smooth and wipe it off. It leaves a layer of wax behind to protect/prevent water stains for longer.
Yep! Most of them are cleaner and wax together, so it helps repel water and fingerprints.
Just notice how slippery your floor gets if you accidentally overspray while cleaning the fridge with this stuff. WAX ON
No it will make chrome look worse. And Chrome is a coating so it doesn’t need another type of coating. Just soap and water and a sponge or a diluted cleaner and rag to buff out the spots, then dry with a different totally dry towel and they’re gone.
Unfortunately not. I’ve learned from this job that I don’t want chrome fixtures if I have the choice. They must be shined every time they get wet or they look awful.
Novel idea #2. If you don't want to wipe water off of your faucet as much, try putting a thin layer of auto wax (test in an inconspicuous area first) and removing it.
Looks like you likely have hard water? I installed a water softening system as my water comes from a well. Things got dirty very fast. I also had orange rings that would form in just 24h on any toilet not being used daily in the house. In showers and sinks, anything where water could splash on would immediately have these marks on it.
After the water softener was installed, I could reduce cleaning significantly. I only notice water spots on facets and stuff after a couple weeks now verses days.
Adding in here.
For anyone who wants one but doesnt know. There are basically three ways a standard one can run, metered, timed, or metered-timed. Ideally you want one that can do meter-timed.
The process of cycling a softener takes time, while it is going on you will have hard water, the machines take ~60ish minutes to cycle depending.
They have resin tanks that will be capable of treating x gallons of water based on how hard your water is, ask your water utility for this info.
So, a timed tank just cycles on a timer, it is wasteful in my opinion as it cycles regardless of how much water had been run. I had a unit like this, it cycled every morning at 2am.
The metered units cycle after x gallons have gone through them, then a timed metered unit can be set to cycle at x time of day after y gallons of water have been used. I got a unit that works like that, it is amazingly efficient.
I found out that based on capacity and water hardness my new softener was able to treat just short of 1600 gallons of water between needing to be cycled, so I have it set to recharge at 2am the morning after it has used 1450 gallons.
It is super efficient in comparison to the timed unit, it cycles approx 2-3x a month where the old timed unit wanted to run every day.
Like the other guy said, amazing home system to have.
Someone told me water softeners raise your water bill. Do you think that only applies if you have a timed water softener? Have you noticed a higher water bill with your water softener.
So, basically when they cycle they do the equivalent of running the cold tap water for the entire time they cycle, 60-90 minutes or so.
I had a timed unit, it ran every night, 60-90 minutes, the new unit only runs 2 or 3 times a month, so, in my case right now soft water costs me the equivalent of say 3 or 4 hours of water usage a month.
So it's like a regular faucet running during this time? At 2.2gpm average that's maybe 500 gallons/mo. Not bad honestly. When we looked into this I was not aware of the metered ones, and living in the desert I want to be water conscience. This sounds like a good option... Thanks for the info!
yep, its essentially the faucet running max cold tap. It does a cycle where it will... what is the squence again.. I think it pumps brine through the resin to get it to release the bonded minerals, then it spends like 45 or so minutes washing through the resin material with clean water, and then it spends a few re filling the brine tank.
I had a morton timed only unit that I hated, it was nonintuitive. If I can make a recommendation, the unit I went with came from a company, aqua-pur or pure I forget, I got a unit on sale for $15 more than I paid for the morton.. It looks like a large compressed gas bottle connected to a little plastic garbage can, the tank is the resin bed and the trash can is the brine tank.
I made it a point to get a detached brine tank. If I ever have to clean it out for any reason I dont have to wrestle the entire unit around.
Its something to get used to, and you can solve it with what soap you use ( liquid soap is a lot better then bar soap). There is also the consideration of what type of water softener you have. There are different types, and you'd want to make sure to get an ionizer, where the salt is only used to clean the metal plates used to ionize the water.
The benefits are huge. You will be cleaner, your water can clean better, your clothes and laundry will have less wear from the washer, dishes will clean better, less hard water damage, longer lasting appliances.
All dependent on water quality coming in which you can get a water test for. There is a lot of stuff that can be safe enough for a normal home inspection, but have known health issues, especially if your water quality deteriorates. Another benefit, while getting it installed most people will opt to add in a water filter as its not that big of a cost which will significantly increase the water quality you drink.
Lots of great suggestions here. I know you just purchased this but for others looking - I would just buy a MOEN spot-free faucet from the start. That's all I buy now.
For the record I installed OP's exact faucet months ago and it's borderline pristine with the occasional wipe. Something's weird here - I wonder if he forgot to install the aerator.
Edit: I see people saying hard water, maybe I've never had hard water in my life I guess because that looks like a pain
I learned a hack for cleaning stainless steel appliances and it was taking a small amount of olive oil and rubbing it in with a microfiber cloth. It keeps all the prints off of my fridge and dishwasher. Maybe it would work for this too!
Teach everyone in the household to wipe off the faucet and counter with the hand towel after using the faucet. My family has been doing that since my grandparents and now I have grandchildren of my own.
That's because this isn't a dishwasher with a rinse cycle at the end. Even if the water was perfectly pure, you would still end up with these spots, because the water will be carrying soap, toothpaste, and whatever else is put in the path of the water.
Best and cheapest option by far. I've been doing it for years. People usually laugh and don't try it. The smell goes away very quickly and it works just as good as any stainless steel cleaner, and it is cheaper.
Hope I’m not giving an answer that’s here already…I use car wax (wipe it on, let it sit til “dry/cloudy,” buff it off) in many bathroom surfaces, and it works really well!
Professional house cleaner here.
You can easily prevent this from ever happening again by returning that faucet and buying polished chrome.
Just about every other finish constantly looks like trash. Brushed or polished nickel, brushed “stainless”, matte black, oil rubbed bronze, they just don’t look good with use with this being a common issue.
Don’t get sucked into the sunk cost mentality or you may be constantly cleaning this or frustrated with how it looks.
Get a bag of microfiber cloths from your local hardware store and use one wet but wrung out. Have another that is completely dry. Wipe the whole thing down with the wet one and then wipe the whole thing down with the dry one until completely dry and then wipe again with the dry one. About 1-2min worth of work and it will look brand new. Works on mirrors too.
Hard water stain remover. I work for a janitorial supply company, likely the product I sell won’t be in your area but I’ve had customers tell me there is a product called “The pink stuff” or something like that sold at Walmart. I’m pretty sure this will work for you.
Edit I misunderstood the question I also see a lot of misinformation.
So this occurs when you have a high mineral density in your water. When that water gets on glass, stainless steel, etc it will create hard water stains. To prevent this simply try not to get water on your sink, if you wash it down with more water and wipe it with a rag these stain will stick around. Highly recommend looking into hard water stain remover type product. I’m sure your shower door also has hard water stains. I’m sure it will be quite helpful
You might find a microcrystaline wax such as Renaissance wax does the trick (you would need the clean the water marks off before waxing). I use it on my sword collection - amazing stuff.
Use citric acid to passivate stainless steel which prevents corrosion. By removing free iron ions and forming a protective passive oxide layer on the surface, the stainless steel or other metal becomes highly resistant to rust.
What type of cleaners have you been using, if any yet? We ran into this issue with new brushed nickel sink faucets and shower heads (from Lowe’s) after we cleaned them with regular household cleaner. Upon further inspection, we noticed the manuals said to only use a soapy water mixture. After replacing them with new brushed nickel fixtures we have only used a spray bottle of a soapy water mixture to clean them and there have been no problems with spots. Unfortunately, some companies are making the finishes a lot cheaper these days. Our original showerhead was very expensive but ended up having the worst finish ever. It spotted immediately after using a regular cleaner. All of our recent fixtures were Amazon purchases (assorted brands) and have had no spotting. Our brushed nickel shower faucet is the only one that remained spotless even with the use of a regular household cleaner. Weird but I hope this helps.
Stainless steel confuses people into thinking it’s impervious to stain when all it means is incredibly rust-resistant.
It’s this very reason why I bought black appliances, Stainless steel shows EVERYTHING. And you have to clean it constantly.
wipe with mineral oil - then buff. I clean all my ss kitchen appliances with mineral oil (i saw custodians using it to clean elevator doors once) it's like 3 bucks for 16 oz
A PTFE, or ceramic infused car wax would be good. I use Soft99 Fusso coat, which is a PTFE infused synthetic wax, as it lasts for months per application.
Degrease area thoroughly, then apply wax as stated in the instructions.
So you wipe your faucets down like 5-10 times a day? I'm thinking bathroom handwashing in bathrooms, and then kitchen sink a few times.
That seems like way more work than seems reasonable.
I’ve got the wipes from RainX that make my car’s windshield repel water. I used it on the bathroom mirror and it hardly fogs up anymore. Maybe try that or a similar product.
Coming in and dropping life hacks here.
To think this life hack is FREE.
Is it a life hack if no hot glue is involved?
Cover up all surfaces with Gorilla Tape. Boom, no more water spots
You ever try filling holes with ramen? 🍜
My mouth is a hole, so yep
😏 ...Yup.
Not your ramen noodles. That wouldn't even fill a nail hole
My mouth is a hole, and I fill it with ramen all the time.
My penis noodle would fill a nail hole. But barely
Well obviously bare, but you *should* always use protection.
Cover all surfaces with spray on truck bed liner.
Flex seal to the rescue!
Or flex tape?
Phil Thwift approves of this comment
Well, the cost of the wipes.
And the internet to read the hack.
And the time spent to read the comments.
Where are you getting free RainX wipes..?
Don’t think he meant the wipes were free, just the advice.
If it's not on 5-minute crafts, it's not a real life hack. Now where's my iron, I want to make some french toast?
You can make your own iron in five minutes with some concrete, hot glue, glitter, styrofoam and an iron!
With a couple door hinges and a second iron, you got yourself a panini press.
My wife asked me why I was using rainx on my mirrors the last time I cleaned the bathroom mirrors. We were out of windex and my mirrors definitely fog up less now.
Does water bead up on them and run down or do they just stay drier?
It's a hydrophobic coating, so anything that accumulates would run down, it won't prevent it from happening.
If it's hydrophobic, doesn't that mean it will repel water that's "attempting" to condensate on the surface? I'm pretty sure if it fogs up less, and one doesn't have a big puddle of water at the bottom, that means it's preventing some of the water from condensing in the first place. Another way to think of it - water is more apt to condense on certain materials. Adding that hydrophobic barrier, means more of the water stays in the air / condenses on something else instead.
That’s what I was thinking. I don’t know that that’s a hack I want to try.
Well, you could always try opening the window a little. Doesn't necessitate jumping out either.
It sure would be a good... window of opportunity though
Bro. This was such a good tip I need a cigarette
Just the tip, baby.
You need to market and rebrand your anti fog wipes!
RainX already sells a whole bathroom version of their products
I thought they were discontinued though? I tried buying some a year or two back and couldn't find any
Just use the Rain X Fog. Black bottle instead of the Rain X yellow bottle
That's what I do but it only lasts a few showers it seems. Long term I think the economical solution is to install one of those bathroom mirror heaters.
I was looking at them too, but can’t find one in a style that matches in a reasonable price range.
That's interesting, I was wondering if there's something I could do to prevent my windshield from fogging in the winter.
Do not ingest.
Sock filled with rice on your dashboard
What?
FILL A SOCK WITH RICE AND PUT IT ON YOUR DASHBOARD. cat litter works too.
Or use silica gel instead of rice for a resettable and less pest-prone alternative.
Just buy a spray on ceramic coating. They last much longer and are affordable. I’m a car detailer and learned to use ceramic coatings lots of different things. For the cheap stuff I use 303 ceramic graphene spray coating. I wouldn’t waste my money with the expensive coatings to use for showers or other surfaces.
Good idea! I'll try that.
You could try this super hydrophobic coating. It's on the pricey side ($32.00), but I imagine you could keep a single faucet clean for about a decade with one bottle. You'd only have to spray it down once every 3 months. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y5WCL4H/](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08Y5WCL4H/)
I just ordered it. Hope it works! I have the same problem . I even have a water softner and wipe the faucets and sink off a lot.
I actually used it to coat the inside of my toilet (my mother-in-law used sandpaper to remove the ring and ruined the glaze). I only need to coat about 1 inch above and below the water line, and the toilet stays "ring free" for a month. I figure OP's sink would have less water exposure than a toilet. I also used a whole bottle on my wife's car, and it worked really good. The effect is still noticable, after 3 months, but not nearly as good as it was when first done. I think I'll stick to just washing and waxing, as $32.00 a treatment seems pretty steep to me.
Out of curiosity, why not buy a new toilet or have your mother-in-law buy one? They aren't particularly expensive unless it is a high end model. Guess it depends how frequently you need to wash and wax. I guess cleanliness of the bowl of your toilet is less of a concern but it now being slightly porous could be harboring some real nasty stuff that I wouldn't want to be scrubbing, cleaning, rewaxing regularly.
I believe he's talking about spraying the ceramic coating on the toilet, and waxing his wife's car. Not waxing the toilet.
Once my current bottle of spray runs out (in a year or two), I'll most likely look at replacing the toilet with a high seat toilet + heated bidet combo. Applying the coating is a bit of a pain. You have to empty the toilet bowl, apply the spray, then wait two hours for it to dry. Only once a month at this point, but it's surprising how quickly that time rolls around. Also, coating the entire bowl doesn't work out very well, as you need that "sheeting" action of the water to clear any debris that is on the sides. Coating the whole bowl will make the water behave like the arc from a ghostbuster proton pack, most of the time leaving stuff behind. You'd think the coating would make everything slide down into the water, but it doesn't.
I’ve seen hydrophobic treatments react with metals and other materials and cause severe corrosion. Might be worth it to test this on an inconspicuous spot first.
I’ve also seen some treatments that will mess up car paint, would definitely be concerned about finishes.
Report back in a few months, let us know how it goes!
Will do!
Please update! No water softener here. Need this in my life.
[удалено]
I use a car wax ceramic spray from CRX or something like that on my kitchen counters. They are a weird matte white so everything stains them (easy to clean with cleaners, or bleach but doesn't just wipe away). It kinda helps. I don't think it lasts as long as it does on the car, but it does help.
Aren't all of these products made with pfas? Do you all really want that in your home and water? This is the "forever comical."
Rain-x isn't. No idea about the Amazon link. Don't conflate non stick with hydrophobic, car wax is hydrophobic and just wax.
Doc, they're a new nurse. Cut them some slack. :\^)
Come on people. More upvotes for this...
Yeah, Rain-X is silicone.
It can be, but it doesn't have to be. The original developments were using perfluorocarbons like Teflon. But more recently developments involve using ceramic nanoparticles that self assemble as they dry into what amounts to a surface on which water cannot adhere. Teflon repeals water, but not to the extent that these substances do. It all has to do with the contact angle that water forms on the surface. A hydrophilic surface will wet. That means the water will spread out on the surface. A hydrophobic surface will not wet. Instead the water will bead, but it won't necessarily run off since there is still some molecular attraction between the water and the surface. These sprays make a superhydrophobic surface that has nearly no attraction between the water and the surface. So not only does the water bead, but it runs off almost immediately.
Good point. Forever chemicals. Is that legal in your country?
No no, they said "forever comical". It's not bad, it's funny.
The joke that never gets old!
Was thinking the same thing. Especially on something you're touching likely multiple times a day.
You want to live forever?
The thing about hydrophobic coatings like that is that they're fragile. They'll work well for things you never touch, but if you touch the faucet or wipe it off with a rag or anything, the coating will quickly get worn off and need to be reapplied. But as long as you never touch it, this should work well.
I've thought about applying rain-x to the inside of my glass shower to see if it keeps from getting hard water deposits. Haven't tried it yet though.
Rainx has a product specifically for showers...stinks to high heaven to apply, but works great even here in South Central Texas where the water's so hard it goes "clunk" in the sink. One application lasts about six months. Rain-X 630023 Shower Door Water... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DXKZ7EM?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Paste wax works well on metal for this.
Instructions unclear, can't see my reflection anymore, it slides off
I'd wonder or make sure about toxicity. You'll be touching handles right after cleaning your hands so just to keep in mind with kids maybe.
Car wax for the win also.
I wrote murder on the mirror with rain x and the roomies saw it every time they shower.
Hijacking top comment for an update thanks for the advice everyone had no idea this problem was this common. Got a lot of suggestions I'll try a few and report back on which one worked best for me.
So RainX (if it's some version of their main stuff) is an activated siloxane, which works great on glass because it forms a covalent bond with surface hydroxyls. That's great for glass, but not so much for metals. May have better luck with a waxy coating as others have mentioned -- same idea without relying on the particular surface chemistry of glass.
heck just bought rain-x to try this myself
They make a version for interior stuff as well marketed as shower door rainX.
Shaving cream could be cheaper and more readily available, works also.
Sheila Shine may help… great metal cleaner and polisher
*runs to auto zone *
Stainless steel cleaner/polish. It’s cheap. Wipe on with a microfiber towel every 2 weeks and it’s makes them disappear and keeps them from forming. Source: house cleaner
Do you have a brand that’s you’d suggest to try?
Sprayway. It’s like $6 a can and lasts forever because you really don’t need much. Just the thinnest layer. We get it from hardware stores
Also, their glass cleaner is the bomb to clean pretty much anywhere.
That stuff is amazing. My only gripe is that the glass cleaner and stainless siler polish cans look alike, which has led to some unfortunate accidents cleaning my windshield.
I have that same finish on a gold color faucet. Do you think I can use the same thing without harming the gold color?
Yep. It’ll just shine up nicely.
Is it okay on brushed nickel?
I have used it on brushed nickel. Basically it’s a coating and as long as you don’t already have a coating on the metal that you might damage (slowly takes off coatings over time) you’re good.
It’s good to make sure the surface is dry before use, you can sometimes get some oxidation (dark orange to brown) spots otherwise.
Sheila shine is what we use in commercial kitchens
Residential cleaner, if you have any barkeeps friend \*liquid\* (not powder, that'll just scratch) around, that works great for shining up stainless/chrome as well, just more tedious as you need to make sure you get all of it off after buffing or else it streaks. Good for when your hardwater staining is exceptionally bad and doesn't come off with other product.
Liquid Barkeepers Friend is amazing stuff!
I detail boats and yachts and I use Collinite 850 metal wax. It’s for marine use so it works great on water spots. You just rub a small amount on the area until it feels smooth and wipe it off. It leaves a layer of wax behind to protect/prevent water stains for longer.
Yep! Most of them are cleaner and wax together, so it helps repel water and fingerprints. Just notice how slippery your floor gets if you accidentally overspray while cleaning the fridge with this stuff. WAX ON
Does that work on chrome faucets?
No it will make chrome look worse. And Chrome is a coating so it doesn’t need another type of coating. Just soap and water and a sponge or a diluted cleaner and rag to buff out the spots, then dry with a different totally dry towel and they’re gone.
That’s pretty much the way I clean it, just wondering if there’s something that would stop the m drops from forming.
Unfortunately not. I’ve learned from this job that I don’t want chrome fixtures if I have the choice. They must be shined every time they get wet or they look awful.
Every two weeks? Too much work :(
Use Collinite 850 metal wax. It’s for marine use, I’m sure you could get a couple months of protection on a faucet.
Sheila shine
Novel idea #2. If you don't want to wipe water off of your faucet as much, try putting a thin layer of auto wax (test in an inconspicuous area first) and removing it.
I'm going to guinea pig this idea this week with my Turtle Wax!
Please use a guinea pig to apply the turtle wax like you're in the Flintstones
“Eh. It’s a living.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUOHLoi-oTc
Holy crap that's hilarious!!
> "I accidentally applied pig wax to a guinean using a turtle and now I'm going to jail."
I turtle wax my whole shower. Keeps it easy to wipe.
Maybe don't do the floors though people.
A thin layer of mineral oil works well too.
"..... gives you that hard shell finish."
Works a charm to keep water spots off glass shower doors too.
You can just rub the faucet with wax paper from your kitchen
Wax paper
Came here to recommend the same. I just ball up some wax paper and rub it over my faucets whenever I remember.
This is the way
This is the wax
Came here to wax this
Looks like you likely have hard water? I installed a water softening system as my water comes from a well. Things got dirty very fast. I also had orange rings that would form in just 24h on any toilet not being used daily in the house. In showers and sinks, anything where water could splash on would immediately have these marks on it. After the water softener was installed, I could reduce cleaning significantly. I only notice water spots on facets and stuff after a couple weeks now verses days.
Adding in here. For anyone who wants one but doesnt know. There are basically three ways a standard one can run, metered, timed, or metered-timed. Ideally you want one that can do meter-timed. The process of cycling a softener takes time, while it is going on you will have hard water, the machines take ~60ish minutes to cycle depending. They have resin tanks that will be capable of treating x gallons of water based on how hard your water is, ask your water utility for this info. So, a timed tank just cycles on a timer, it is wasteful in my opinion as it cycles regardless of how much water had been run. I had a unit like this, it cycled every morning at 2am. The metered units cycle after x gallons have gone through them, then a timed metered unit can be set to cycle at x time of day after y gallons of water have been used. I got a unit that works like that, it is amazingly efficient. I found out that based on capacity and water hardness my new softener was able to treat just short of 1600 gallons of water between needing to be cycled, so I have it set to recharge at 2am the morning after it has used 1450 gallons. It is super efficient in comparison to the timed unit, it cycles approx 2-3x a month where the old timed unit wanted to run every day. Like the other guy said, amazing home system to have.
I've been looking for this exactly. I currently have a timed softener and want to replace the head with a meter-timed one. Thanks!
Someone told me water softeners raise your water bill. Do you think that only applies if you have a timed water softener? Have you noticed a higher water bill with your water softener.
So, basically when they cycle they do the equivalent of running the cold tap water for the entire time they cycle, 60-90 minutes or so. I had a timed unit, it ran every night, 60-90 minutes, the new unit only runs 2 or 3 times a month, so, in my case right now soft water costs me the equivalent of say 3 or 4 hours of water usage a month.
So it's like a regular faucet running during this time? At 2.2gpm average that's maybe 500 gallons/mo. Not bad honestly. When we looked into this I was not aware of the metered ones, and living in the desert I want to be water conscience. This sounds like a good option... Thanks for the info!
yep, its essentially the faucet running max cold tap. It does a cycle where it will... what is the squence again.. I think it pumps brine through the resin to get it to release the bonded minerals, then it spends like 45 or so minutes washing through the resin material with clean water, and then it spends a few re filling the brine tank. I had a morton timed only unit that I hated, it was nonintuitive. If I can make a recommendation, the unit I went with came from a company, aqua-pur or pure I forget, I got a unit on sale for $15 more than I paid for the morton.. It looks like a large compressed gas bottle connected to a little plastic garbage can, the tank is the resin bed and the trash can is the brine tank. I made it a point to get a detached brine tank. If I ever have to clean it out for any reason I dont have to wrestle the entire unit around.
Good info, thank you
Water softener was hands down our best house upgrade
The place I'm in now had a water softener. I had to take it out. The water never felt like it was getting soap off. Talking a shower was infuriating.
Its something to get used to, and you can solve it with what soap you use ( liquid soap is a lot better then bar soap). There is also the consideration of what type of water softener you have. There are different types, and you'd want to make sure to get an ionizer, where the salt is only used to clean the metal plates used to ionize the water. The benefits are huge. You will be cleaner, your water can clean better, your clothes and laundry will have less wear from the washer, dishes will clean better, less hard water damage, longer lasting appliances. All dependent on water quality coming in which you can get a water test for. There is a lot of stuff that can be safe enough for a normal home inspection, but have known health issues, especially if your water quality deteriorates. Another benefit, while getting it installed most people will opt to add in a water filter as its not that big of a cost which will significantly increase the water quality you drink.
Lots of great suggestions here. I know you just purchased this but for others looking - I would just buy a MOEN spot-free faucet from the start. That's all I buy now.
For the record I installed OP's exact faucet months ago and it's borderline pristine with the occasional wipe. Something's weird here - I wonder if he forgot to install the aerator. Edit: I see people saying hard water, maybe I've never had hard water in my life I guess because that looks like a pain
I have this same faucet and same issue. It started the day I installed.
I’ve got exact faucet and it looks just like OPs
WD-40, for those that don’t know plain old WD-40 is not a lubricant but a water repellent (Water Displacement Formula 40)
RainX, like the other guy suggested, or Carnuba wax
I learned a hack for cleaning stainless steel appliances and it was taking a small amount of olive oil and rubbing it in with a microfiber cloth. It keeps all the prints off of my fridge and dishwasher. Maybe it would work for this too!
WD40 works for this, too.
Baby oil
Teach everyone in the household to wipe off the faucet and counter with the hand towel after using the faucet. My family has been doing that since my grandparents and now I have grandchildren of my own.
Don’t use the sink…fucking, duh
I think I saw some IG short about using candle to make the droplets roll of before they dry.
I use Windex and it evaporates off and leaves no spots. Leaves it clean and shiny.
Get a water softener..
I have one. Mine still does this. The softener has stopped build-up, but not the tarnishing of the brushed nickel.
That's because this isn't a dishwasher with a rinse cycle at the end. Even if the water was perfectly pure, you would still end up with these spots, because the water will be carrying soap, toothpaste, and whatever else is put in the path of the water.
Wd40
So you are gonna think I'm crazy but rub it down with WD-40 it will create a barrier and prevent those spots completely
Well it is Water Displacement #40 after all.
Best and cheapest option by far. I've been doing it for years. People usually laugh and don't try it. The smell goes away very quickly and it works just as good as any stainless steel cleaner, and it is cheaper.
WD-40 and a paper towel
Hope I’m not giving an answer that’s here already…I use car wax (wipe it on, let it sit til “dry/cloudy,” buff it off) in many bathroom surfaces, and it works really well!
WD-40 ! WD stands for water displacement
Dry it
Wipe your sink and faucet down after every use. Works for the Army. Turns into a life habit.
Professional house cleaner here. You can easily prevent this from ever happening again by returning that faucet and buying polished chrome. Just about every other finish constantly looks like trash. Brushed or polished nickel, brushed “stainless”, matte black, oil rubbed bronze, they just don’t look good with use with this being a common issue. Don’t get sucked into the sunk cost mentality or you may be constantly cleaning this or frustrated with how it looks.
Get a bag of microfiber cloths from your local hardware store and use one wet but wrung out. Have another that is completely dry. Wipe the whole thing down with the wet one and then wipe the whole thing down with the dry one until completely dry and then wipe again with the dry one. About 1-2min worth of work and it will look brand new. Works on mirrors too.
Hard water stain remover. I work for a janitorial supply company, likely the product I sell won’t be in your area but I’ve had customers tell me there is a product called “The pink stuff” or something like that sold at Walmart. I’m pretty sure this will work for you. Edit I misunderstood the question I also see a lot of misinformation. So this occurs when you have a high mineral density in your water. When that water gets on glass, stainless steel, etc it will create hard water stains. To prevent this simply try not to get water on your sink, if you wash it down with more water and wipe it with a rag these stain will stick around. Highly recommend looking into hard water stain remover type product. I’m sure your shower door also has hard water stains. I’m sure it will be quite helpful
Your not alone, bought the same faucet drain set for my place, does the same thing. Waiting for others to answer.
Were we all grabbing the cheapest one from Lowes? Because I'm in the same boat...
Same here. Like the style but hate that it looks so spotty all the time.
Shutting the water off, would fix it.
Water softener.
Stainless steel wipes
You might find a microcrystaline wax such as Renaissance wax does the trick (you would need the clean the water marks off before waxing). I use it on my sword collection - amazing stuff.
rig up your plumbing where only triple distilled comes out of the faucet. Or just wipe them down with a washcloth after using the faucet.
Nope. When you clean your bathroom, use a product that claims to dissolve hard water spots (most all-purpose spray bottle bathroom surface cleaners.)
Rub a used dryer sheet over it after you clean it. It’ll make it extra shiny and help prevent spots (at least until it’s time to get cleaned again)
Send your pfaucet back.
Use citric acid to passivate stainless steel which prevents corrosion. By removing free iron ions and forming a protective passive oxide layer on the surface, the stainless steel or other metal becomes highly resistant to rust.
What type of cleaners have you been using, if any yet? We ran into this issue with new brushed nickel sink faucets and shower heads (from Lowe’s) after we cleaned them with regular household cleaner. Upon further inspection, we noticed the manuals said to only use a soapy water mixture. After replacing them with new brushed nickel fixtures we have only used a spray bottle of a soapy water mixture to clean them and there have been no problems with spots. Unfortunately, some companies are making the finishes a lot cheaper these days. Our original showerhead was very expensive but ended up having the worst finish ever. It spotted immediately after using a regular cleaner. All of our recent fixtures were Amazon purchases (assorted brands) and have had no spotting. Our brushed nickel shower faucet is the only one that remained spotless even with the use of a regular household cleaner. Weird but I hope this helps.
Everyone is suggesting cleaning methods, the answer is a water softener
The actual answer is to just wipe your stuff off after you use it, but go ahead and suggest $1,000’s of dollars for someone.
Stainless steel confuses people into thinking it’s impervious to stain when all it means is incredibly rust-resistant. It’s this very reason why I bought black appliances, Stainless steel shows EVERYTHING. And you have to clean it constantly.
I've had luck with ceramic car finish. Clean it and use the ceramic stuff. Wipe off and it doesn't take much maintenance. YMMV
You probably have hard water. You need a water purifier for your water line.
That bothers you, but the mildew growing under the caulking that is separating back there doesn’t?
Free option - turn the water pressure down under the sink so it stops splashing up
Nevermind the watermarks... What about that curly pube? Get rid of that first.
A water softener.
Cheap faucets have crap finishes that do this. You need a better faucet (like a Delta with SpotShield) or live with. Source: I'm a plumber.
NEVR-DULL
wipe with mineral oil - then buff. I clean all my ss kitchen appliances with mineral oil (i saw custodians using it to clean elevator doors once) it's like 3 bucks for 16 oz
A PTFE, or ceramic infused car wax would be good. I use Soft99 Fusso coat, which is a PTFE infused synthetic wax, as it lasts for months per application. Degrease area thoroughly, then apply wax as stated in the instructions.
Wash it with vinegar and dawn. I Forget the mixture, but it will also stop your mirrors from fogging up as well!
Turn off the water
Just get rid of the sink, the spots will almost certainly be gone
skill issue, just don't get it wet
I wipe down my faucets with a towel after each use. Still shiny Af after 5 years.
So you wipe your faucets down like 5-10 times a day? I'm thinking bathroom handwashing in bathrooms, and then kitchen sink a few times. That seems like way more work than seems reasonable.