Most people give their taps a quick wipe when cleaning the bathroom, but overtime they can become speckled with soap and limescale that will form a crusty layer on the metal. Tap stains are surprisingly difficult to remove as limescale is made up of minerals that harden over time and cannot be removed with most water-based household cleaners.
Soap can also react to limescale to create a substance called soap scrum, which binds to a surface and forms a greasy residue that will be tricky to scrub away without scratching your taps. However, the cleaning experts at Homeglow have shared a simple solution – and it turns out that one of the most effective ways to dissolve hardened tap stains is to pour Coca-Cola on them.
They said: “You might only think of Coca-Cola as a soft drink to enjoy, but its ingredients, including citric acid, tartaric acid, and phosphoric acid, can dissolve rust and mineral deposits.
“Coca Cola is perfect for unclogging blocked faucets, removing limescale, and restoring the shine in your shower. It’s an effective cleaning solution, but it isn’t overly acidic, so it doesn’t discolor or peel metallic surfaces.”
It might sound utterly bizarre to use a fizzy drink to clean with, but Coca-Cola contains acidic ingredients that can easily dissolve minerals and grease.
The key to getting rid of soap and limescale stains is cleaning them with an acidic solution but you also need a more gentle and natural substance that will not harm the metal casing.
Overtime limescale soap scum can dull the metal on taps and make them lose their shine, can using Coca-Cola will make them much easier to clean so they stay as shiny as possible.
How to easily clean sink taps
You will need:
- One plastic bag (or a sandwich bag)
- A couple of rubber bands
- One or two cans of Coca-Cola
- An old toothbrush
Method:
All you need to do is fill a plastic bag with Coca-Cola and then place it tightly over a tap facet.
Quickly secure the plastic bag with rubber bands, and then leave the taps alone for at least one hour.
The acids in Coca-Cola need time to loosen and dissolve the tap stains, so if you have any particularly stubborn stains then you can leave the bag longer if you wish.
Once the time is up, remove the plastic bag and then use a toothbrush to gently scrub at the stains.
All the greasy and hard stains should now crumble away. Rinse with warm water, dry the taps with a clean cloth, and your taps should now be completely clean.