"Personally, I prefer starting with vinegar since it's gentler and less risky overall."
Vinegar's definitely safer, but honestly, sometimes it just doesn't cut it for stubborn mineral buildup. Another option I've had luck with is citric acid powder—it's stronger than vinegar but not as harsh as CLR. Just dissolve a tablespoon or two in warm water and soak the parts briefly. Hasn't damaged any plastic seals or finishes for me yet... might be worth a shot if vinegar isn't doing enough.
"Another option I've had luck with is citric acid powder—it's stronger than vinegar but not as harsh as CLR."
Citric acid's a solid suggestion, but honestly, I've found that even it struggles sometimes with really stubborn deposits. Had a faucet once that laughed off vinegar and citric acid both... ended up soaking the parts overnight in diluted CLR. I was hesitant at first, but it worked great and didn't harm anything. Just gotta rinse thoroughly afterward. Guess it depends how tough your water is!
Citric acid usually does the trick for me too, but yeah, sometimes you hit those nightmare faucets that seem to have their own stubborn personality. Had one in my guest bathroom that shrugged off everything eco-friendly I threw at it—vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid... Finally gave in and tried CLR as a last resort. It worked, but I still prefer sticking to gentler methods first. Guess some faucets just like to test our patience, huh?
Had a similar battle with a kitchen faucet last year—tried all the usual eco-friendly suspects first, vinegar soak overnight, citric acid paste, even baking soda scrubs. Nothing budged that stubborn mineral buildup. Eventually, I took the faucet apart to see what was really going on inside. Turns out, the aerator was completely crusted over with calcium deposits. Soaked it separately in CLR for about 15 minutes, brushed gently with an old toothbrush, and it finally cleared up.
If you're comfortable with basic plumbing, sometimes dismantling the faucet and targeting specific parts directly can save you a lot of frustration. Just remember to shut off the water supply first (learned that one the hard way...). Faucets aren't too complicated internally—usually just valves, washers, cartridges, and aerators—but those tiny parts can really hold onto minerals.
Been there myself with the faucet drama... it's always the little things like aerators that cause the biggest headaches. Good call on dismantling it—sometimes there's just no shortcut around getting your hands dirty. And yeah, shutting off the water first is key; learned that lesson after an unexpected kitchen shower, lol. Glad you got it sorted though, plumbing can be oddly satisfying once you finally crack the problem.
