How to Clean Basins and Taps

Our recommended guide to removing dirt and limescale from basins and taps can be a lengthy process. However, it will be worth the time and effort when you see your basins and taps sparkling clean again. Not completing this task will leave substances such as limescale which, if not cleaned away, will restrict the flow of water you receive and reduce the efficiency of your taps.

Why Limescale Can Become an Issue?

Limescale is the build-up of a hard deposit with a chalk-like appearance which mainly consists of calcium carbonate. You’ll mostly find limescale wherever there is warm water. When it comes to bathrooms, this will include basins and taps. This substance can cause various amounts of damage to your home, from minor issues to major problems such as pipe blockages or cracks.

Preparation

Wearing the correct PPE is important to ensure you protect yourself from any bacteria or viruses. Here at Cork Hygiene we recommended you have a safety sign to make others aware that cleaning is taking place.

Next, you will need a bucket. Check it’s clean and ready to use, if the bucket is dirty rinse it out with clean water. Now fill the bucket halfway with water and prepare the cleaning solution and stainless safe descaler.

Other equipment that will come in useful will be a cleaning cloth, a non-abrasive pad, tweezers, and a bottle brush for scrubbing away the limescale and dirt.

Cleaning the Wash Basin and Taps

Dip your cleaning cloth into a hot soapy bucket of water with the cloth wrung out in the cleaning solution. Another option is to spray the solution onto a cloth from a trigger bottle. Then wipe surrounding surfaces including wall ties, ledges, pipes, waste bin and underneath the basin. There may be some objects on the basin, if so remove them. Any loose hair or other items from the plughole will need to be removed with the set of tweezers from your equipment.

Using your cloth again, wipe around the inside of the basin, this includes the plug chain, taps and overflow. There will probably be stubborn stain marks that will need scrubbing with a non-abrasive scourer. To remove any build-up of limescale on the taps use a stainless steel safe chemical descaler, however make sure to follow the manufactures instructions to ensure no damage is caused.

With running tap water, rinse the basin area thoroughly, swilling water into the overflow. Clean the overflow with the bottle brush, then wring out the cloth and polish any stainless steel or chrome. Finally, place the items you removed back onto the basin.

Final Stages

• Discard any dirty water from the bucket
• Clean and dry the bucket
• Throw away the cloth
• Remove safety sign when the area is dry and clear of trip hazards