As someone who writes about cleaning — and actually enjoys finding ways to make my routine easier at home — I’m always scrolling Instagram for new tips to try. Most of the hacks that pop up in my feed feel familiar, but every so often I stumble on something I’ve never tried before and can hardly wait to test out. That’s exactly what happened when I saw a surprising trick for getting bathroom faucets to sparkle — using nothing more than a wadded-up ball of aluminum foil!
Why You Should Use Aluminum Foil to Clean Bathroom Faucets
In a video on Instagram by Anna Ignatenko (@ann_aknows), the hack calls for crumpling a small piece of aluminum foil into a ball and using it to gently rub away the cloudy hard water spots that dull chrome fixtures. The idea is that the foil’s texture is just abrasive enough to lift the mineral buildup that makes faucets look dirty, but gentle enough to not scratch it up.
As you rub, the friction creates a little heat that forms aluminum oxide — a reaction that not only buffs out water marks, but also helps polish the surface and even reduce minor rust spots. A word of caution: Skip this hack on brushed, matte, or specialty finishes, which can scratch more easily.
I’ve used aluminum foil before to de-tarnish silverware in the dishwasher and have heard of it working to remove static cling from clothes, so I was excited to try using it on faucets instead. I liked that I didn’t need to buy any special spray or extra product — just the foil I already had on hand. And when I’m done, I can toss the foil in the recycling bin (or save it to reuse for those other cleaning tasks).
What Happened When I Used Aluminum Foil to Clean My Faucet
I usually rely on an all-purpose spray and a microfiber cloth to clean my faucets, so I was curious to see if aluminum foil could really compete. I wadded up a small sheet and started buffing the water-spotted chrome faucet in my bathroom.
To my surprise, the dull spots disappeared almost instantly, leaving the faucet looking freshly polished. There was a bit of leftover soapy residue that the foil couldn’t remove, but a quick swipe with a damp cloth fixed that in seconds. I later learned that wetting the foil first can make it even more effective, especially for loosening soap scum — just remember to dry the faucet afterward to prevent new water marks.
I love this foil hack, and I plan to try it out in even more places around the house for shiny fixtures and metal surfaces.