Green Stuff on a Faucet: What Is It?

Is your home being invaded by something green? Cleaning bathroom and kitchen faucets in Arizona can be a constant battle. That’s because you’ll find green stuff on a faucet. What the heck is that stuff? And why can’t you get rid of it easily, even when you scrub?

What Green Stuff on Faucet Could Be

We in Arizona have to deal with hard water on a daily basis. While it might help you feel cleaner in the shower, hard water causes a host of issues. It’s considered hard because it has more minerals in the water. The minerals include magnesium, calcium, and copper. And as copper oxides, it turns green. Just one reason you could have green stuff on a faucet.

Another option is limescale. This is a thick layer of chalky stuff that covers anything where water has been. Limescale can be white, yellow, or green. It might be white on the bottom of your tub, yellow at the back of the sink, and green around the faucets. Another reason for green stuff on a faucet.

Why Green Stuff on a Faucet is Bad

Sure, it’s unsightly to have green stuff on a faucet. There’s no doubt about that. But that limescale and copper can be nearly impossible to clean or remove. Plus, limescale can cause permanent damage to fixtures, leading to a costly problem.

All of this green stuff on the faucet is a strong indicator that you, indeed, do have hard water. Of course, being in Arizona, nearly all of us do, so you’re not alone. So you have two choices to address the problem: clean up the green stuff or get the minerals out of your water.

Tricks to Clean Up the Gunk

There are three good ways to get rid of the green stuff on the faucet:

Trick 1: Commercial Cleaner and a Lime

First, clean your faucet and sink with your normal kitchen cleanser and then wipe it dry. Next, cut a lemon in half and use it to wipe down and scrub the surfaces again. The mild acid in the lemon helps to dissolve the limescale and buildup. After you are done lemon scrubbing, rinse everything off and wipe it dry.

Trick 2: Baking Soda Paste

To make the paste, mix three parts baking soda with one part water. Take your paste and rub it all over the green stuff on a faucet. Leave the baking soda paste on the faucet for one hour (or until it’s fully dry). Afterward, rinse and dry completely.

Trick 3: Deep Vinegar Soak

One of the best ways to beat lime scale and hard water deposits is with vinegar. Fill a plastic bag with 1/3 to 1/2 cup of vinegar and secure the bag around your faucet with a rubber band. Let the vinegar soak deeply into the limescale for 3–4 hours then scrub off the green stuff on a faucet. Rinse and dry when complete.

Rid Your Water of Minerals

If hard water is at the core of your green stuff on faucet problem, you need to do something to get rid of all of those extra minerals. Here are two options:

1. Install a Water Softener

The best way to beat hard water and stop limescale buildup forever is to install a water softener. Soft water has far fewer minerals in it than hard water. Therefore, when soft water dries on your faucet and inside the sink, it leaves behind much less calcium carbonate. That results in pretty much no green stuff on the faucet.

2. Have Your Home Re-piped

Old pipes in your home might be a source of minerals feeding the hard water into your home. As pipes age, water tends to become harder. Having modern plumbing installed in your home, along with a water softener, is the best way to defeat limescale.

Get the Help You Need

If green stuff on a faucet is an issue for you and your home, it’s time to contact Forrest Anderson. We can suggest the best water softener (and install it) if that’s your choice. And if you’d prefer to re-pipe your home, we can manage that project as well.

Stop cleaning your faucets every day. Ban the green stuff!

Contact Forrest Anderson Today!