Faucets are one of the most frequently used elements in the home. Every day they are opened and closed hundreds of times, coming into contact with water, limescale, and cleaning products. That’s why proper care is key to ensuring durability, maintaining their look as if new, and avoiding functional issues.
To dive into this topic, we interviewed Marc Macias, technical expert from our Technical Assistance Service (SAT) at Tres. With years of experience solving questions and repairs, he shares the best tricks to keep your faucets always looking brand new.
Daily care, the key to durability
Cleaning and proper use make all the difference. Many customers think faucets deteriorate over time, but in reality, misuse or aggressive cleaning are the main causes of damage. Simple maintenance, like drying the faucet after use and avoiding harsh products, greatly extends its lifespan.
Marc, how important is daily maintenance for the lifespan of a faucet?
Proper care and maintenance are fundamental to extend the lifespan of a faucet and keep it looking like the first day. It not only influences functionality but also aesthetics. Nowadays, designs are more elegant and sophisticated, adding style and personality to the space where they’re installed. With proper maintenance, faucets will continue to look impeccable even as time passes.
Cleaning without damaging finishes
Before getting into detail, it’s worth remembering that finishes—whether chrome, matte black, or 24k gold—require specific care to preserve their shine and texture.
Which products do you recommend, and which should be avoided when cleaning faucets?
As with many things in life, simple is usually best. To care for faucet finishes, all you need is a soft cotton cloth and just 30 seconds: wipe dry after each use. In a bathroom sink, it’s a matter of routine; in the shower, the last person to use it should do it.
This small habit avoids more intensive cleanings in the future. If it hasn’t been followed, specific products like TRES Cleaner can be used, always respecting the instructions. What should never be used are vinegar, alcohol, citrus products, or rough/dirty cloths, since they damage the surface.
Preventing limescale and maintaining perfect flow
In many areas, water hardness causes limescale build-ups that affect faucet performance. Preventing these deposits is essential to ensure a steady, unobstructed flow.
How can we avoid limescale and keep water flow uniform?
If you live in an area with hard water, the best recommendation is to install a water softener. This way, you protect not only the faucets but also appliances connected to the water supply, such as washing machines or dishwashers.
For faucets, simply follow the maintenance advice in the manual. They’re easy steps anyone can do: for example, unscrewing the aerator from time to time, cleaning it, and putting it back. Other components, like cartridges, require a bit more attention, but it’s no more complicated than changing a vacuum cleaner filter.
The important thing is to be aware that these small habits extend product life and help maintain a uniform water flow.
Small gestures that extend the life of your faucet
Beyond cleaning, the way we use faucets daily directly influences their durability. Some everyday habits can reduce the wear of internal mechanisms.
What practical tips would you give users to prolong the life of their faucet?
In addition to drying faucets after use, with thermostatic faucets it’s advisable to turn the temperature handle from one extreme to the other at least once a week. Normally, the temperature is left fixed and hardly moved, but this action makes the cartridge work, moving from maximum to minimum. Put simply: it keeps its elasticity and ensures proper functioning over time.
A cared-for faucet is a long-lasting faucet
Maintaining faucets doesn’t require major effort, just consistency and good habits. With small gestures we can ensure they continue to work and shine as on the first day.
Marc, if you had to sum up in one key tip how to keep faucets like new for longer, what would it be?
If I had to choose just one piece of advice, it would be this: consistency. With small daily gestures like drying the faucet after use and doing basic maintenance every so often, we make sure faucets last for many years and always look as new. Building the habit of drying the faucet after each use makes all the difference.
