How to Clean Hard Water Off Oil-Rubbed Bronze
- 1). Combine 1 part sodium hexametaphosphate powder with 10 parts of distilled water. Sodium hexametaphosphate is used in common commercial water softening and limescale removal products. Stir until the powder is dissolved.
- 2). Remove any easily removable hard-water-stained, oil-rubbed bronze fixtures, such as light switch cover plates. Submerge fixtures in the solution.
- 3). Wrap items that are not easily removed in towels that have been soaked in the solution.
- 4). Leave the solution to saturate and soften the stains for several minutes then scrub the chalky residue away with a soft-bristle scrub brush or a toothbrush.
- 5). Rinse the scrubbed item in distilled water and pat it dry with a towel.
- 6). Apply a wax coat to protect the bronze item from future water stains. Pick up a gob of microcrystalline wax on a lint-free cloth and smear it over the bronze surface. Allow the wax to dry then buff away the excess with a dry, lint-free cloth. Add one to three additional coats.
- 7). Wipe down and dry oil-rubbed bronze fixtures prone to moisture, such as faucets, when they become wet to prevent stains from developing.
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