How to Clean Gold Coloured Taps

Keep your Taps Clean and Shiny

Gold-colored fixtures are a beautiful addition to a home. In the kitchen or bathroom, gold faucets can make even the most drab of rooms look regal. Most gold taps are made of brass, although some older models may be made of gold or copper. Contact your manufacturer for more information on what material your fixtures are made out of if you're not sure. Regardless of the material they're made with, you can achieve a beautiful shine on your gold fixtures with minimal upkeep and a few household cleaning items.

Things You'll Need

• Rag or towel
• Vinegar
• Flour
• Salt
• Commercial brass cleaner
• Linseed oil
• Ammonia
• Gloves

Instructions

1. Keep your fixtures clean. Keep a rag or towel next to your faucets. Make a habit of spraying a little bit of ammonia on the rag a few times a week. After using the faucet, wipe the fixture with the damp rag. This helps maintain shiny gold faucets with minimal upkeep.

2. Treat your antique faucets with care. If your fixtures are antique, they may require some more effort to keep them shiny and clean. They also may not react well to some commercial cleaners and are probably not made out of brass, but gold or copper. Heat linseed oil over the stove, dip a rag in the warm linseed oil, and rub vigorously on the faucets. This gently cleans antique fixtures without being too abrasive.

3. Use vinegar, salt and flour to polish neglected faucets. If you have a brass faucet that hasn't been cleaned in quite some time, mix vinegar, salt and flour into a thick paste. Rub vigorously with a rag or sponge and leave the mixture on the faucet for 10 minutes. Add a small amount of hot water, scrub the faucet, then rinse with hot water.

4. Use commercial brass cleaner on particularly tough jobs. Commercial brass cleaners contain harsh chemicals that take the tarnish off of your faucet easily. Spray or rub onto the faucets, let sit for 10 to 20 minutes, then rinse carefully. Always wear gloves when using commercial brass cleaners.

5. Continue cleaning your gold-colored fixtures regularly. Once you have gotten your faucets clean, keep them that way by wiping your faucets regularly after using them.

Tips & Warnings

• If your faucets still show signs of tarnish, use a toothbrush to scrub commercial brass cleaner into your fixtures.

• Keep commercial brass cleaners away from children.

• Keep ammonia away from children.

• Use ammonia and commercial brass cleaners in a well-ventilated area.

Resources

• Purchase Legacy Brass Faucets and Accessories