How to clean decades of heavy buildup on bathroom hardware
Heavy decades-old buildup on bathroom fixtures often cannot be cleaned away easily, leaving renters and homeowners facing the dilemma of whether to scrub it or simply replace it. Because the hardware looks permanently dirty, people either try to find heavy-duty cleaning methods or attempt to get free landlord replacements to avoid paying out of pocket.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Hiring a house cleaner to deep clean the home
- 2Using Viakal spray
- 3Soaking the shower head in CLR or vinegar using a bag secured with a rubber band overnight
- 4Buying a replacement shower head instead of cleaning it
- 5Soaking the shower head in water with citric acid
- 6Diluting bleach in water, letting it soak for 10 minutes, and scrubbing with a brush
- 7Making a paste with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda and scrubbing with a toothbrush
- 8Regrouting
- 9Using multi-purpose surface cream cleaner (Jif)
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Just moved into a new place and the master bathroom has this hardware that looks like it hasn't been changed out for decades or has substantial buildup of some kind.”source ↗
“I guess she wasn't able to get these clean. How do I/can I clean it? Or is it time to change out the hardware?”source ↗
“I hate it looking dirty like this.”source ↗
“My bathroom sink has been like this since we rented the place.”source ↗
“the dirt around it irritates me.”source ↗
“I don't know much about deep cleaning”source ↗
“there are tiny lines that look like strands of hair. I'd love them to be less noticeable.”source ↗
“just wasted money on a spray that did basically nothing to the mold in my bathroom grout. still looks gross. what are you guys actually using that works?”source ↗
“I rent and I don’t feel like paying the money lol. Maybe I’ll see if I can get a replacement for free from the building - thank you!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 3How to clear heavy bathroom steam without an exhaust fan