3 Steps for Cleaning Brushed Steel Bathroom Fixtures

Brushed steel has quickly become one of the most sought after finishes for the contemporary bathroom.

Combining an elegant and classy look with a versatile style, brushed steel is a leading choice for Bathroom Taps and Faucets, Shower Sets, and a wide variety of Bathroom Accessories and Essentials – and it comes with a range of practical benefits. Incredibly long-lasting, brushed nickel’s ability to hide stains, smudges and dirty fingerprints makes it perfect for busy bathrooms.

It’s important to regularly clean brushed steel bathroom fixtures to maintain that amazing finish you bought them for, but doing so may not be as straightforward as you think. This is because the material doesn’t react well to commonly used hard, abrasive bathroom cleaners that contain alcohol or ammonia – they can easily ruin the delicate surface and even strip the steel away.

To help you avoid this and keep your brushed steel at its best, here’s a quick and easy three-step guide you can follow to clean your brushed steel taps, faucets, shower sets and any other bathroom accessory.

Step one: Wipe the surface down

Firstly, wipe the surface with a clean, dry, lint-free cloth using small, circular motions to remove dust, grease and any smudges.

It’s important that you keep hard cleaning products away from brushed nickel, and the same is also true for abrasive cleaning tools like scourers, sponges and brushes.

Step two: Use water to remove marks and deposits

Next, dampen a separate clean cloth with warm water and use that to remove any stubborn marks or deposits, regularly rinsing the cloth throughout.

If any grease, dirt or hard water deposit is too stubborn for water alone, dampen your cloth in a solution of white vinegar diluted in water. Never use neat vinegar on brushed steel as that too can cause damage, and if you do use a vinegar solution make sure you quickly rinse the area well once you’re done.

Step three: Dry the area

Once the fixture is clean, use another dry, lint-free cloth – it can be the one you used in step one as long as you’ve cleaned it – to dry the fixture. Repeating step one, again use small, circular motions to buff the steel to a shine.

Bonus step: Treat with wax

Alongside regular cleaning, you can – and really should – polish your brushed steel bathroom fixtures with a standard wax approximately every four weeks. And you don’t even need a special wax to do it – most car waxes will do the trick.

Waxing isn’t essential, but it will keep your brushed steel looking its best for longer.