Tips on Maintaining Your Bronze Bathroom Fixtures

The classy appearance of bronze bathroom faucets is an upscale addition to any bathroom style. The copper-red color has a rustic look, giving the bathroom a warm, inviting feel. Bronze bathroom fixtures resist corrosion better than their iron, brass, and cast-iron counterparts, but they still require some upkeep. Keeping bronze bathroom fixtures looking shiny and new requires several maintenance and care steps, as moisture and harsh cleaning solutions can easily damage bronze hardware. Here are a few tips on maintaining your bronze bathroom faucets and other bath fixtures.

Maintaining Bronze Bathroom Fixtures:

Clean Your Fixtures Often

Keeping bronze free from green film, corrosion, and deterioration requires routine cleaning. With the right cleaning solutions, bronze bathroom fixtures will last for years while keeping their great color and shine.

Dust Frequently

Built-up dust, toothpaste, shaving gel, hairspray, and other bathroom grime will eat away at the surface of bronze bathroom faucets. Use a soft, dry flannel cloth to gently wipe your bathroom fixtures daily.

Remove Built-Up Grime

Bronze faucets that have been neglected should be cleaned with a soft-bristle brush and an approved, gentle cleaning solution. Mix 1 tablespoon of salt into 3 quarts of warm water. Wipe the bronze bathroom fixtures with the solution and rinse with clear water. Work to remove all dust and grime from crevices and around the base of the faucet. Finish by gently wiping the bathroom fixtures with a flannel cloth.

Deep Clean Monthly

You’ll want to use a paste mixture to deep clean. Mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of white vinegar. Stir until dissolved. Add white flour until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Coat each bronze bathroom fixture with the paste, working it into all hard-to-reach areas. Allow up to one hour for the paste to dry. Rinse with warm, clean water and polish dry with a flannel cloth.

Polish Periodically

Dip a clean flannel cloth in liquid wax. Wipe the entire fixture with the wax. Let it dry, coating the entire fixture. Use a fresh flannel cloth to buff the metal. This can help restore the shine on a bronze fixture that has become faded over time.

Take Care to Prevent Bronze Disease

When chlorides from cleaning materials combine with oxygen and moisture, a corrosion of rough, light green spots will form on bronze surfaces. Cleaning and treating bronze will reduce the chances of damage to this soft metal. A special solution of sodium sesquicarbonate may be used by a professional plumber to remove bronze disease.