Black taps are increasing in popularity within the home and are common in modern, monochrome bathrooms. Before you purchase your new taps, it's always useful to know how to take care of them to keep them looking as good as the day you bought them. Let's get into it.
What Covers Black Bathroom Taps?
Each brand will have their own unique approach but most of our black hardware generally uses electroplating or PVD to coat the taps with. Here's some more detail on each of these processes:
Electroplating
The main process for coating black bathroom taps and other black bathroom accessories is electroplating. This takes a water-based paint solution at atomic level and converts it into an immensely thin film coating, using electric currents to perform the application.
It's the chosen method by many big bathroom brands as it's one of the most durable finishes when it comes to standing up to general wear and tear.
PVD
PVD stands for physical vapour deposition and is becoming more and more popular among the top bathroom brands. PVD covers a variety of methods, each using a vacuum to lay ultra-thin films across metal products. It is also popularly used on solar panels and metalwork tools.
PVD converts a matt black finish from condensed phase to a vapour phase, which is then applied via vacuum, where it condenses once more as a thin film. Hey presto – a lovely matt black finish that is quoted by the brands that use it to be more effective and resilient than electroplating.
Aftercare
While they may stand up to years of grubby hands thanks to either finish, black taps cast using the above methods can really suffer if the wrong sort of chemical cleaner is used on them. This might cause dulling of the finish or even wear right through to the base material.
Daily Cleaning
To maintain the finish of your black taps, ensure you rinse away traces of soap and grime with a soft cloth after each use. Regularly cleaning your tap with a mix of hot water and washing up liquid with a microfibre cloth will help to prevent limescale forming.
To ensure you don't forget, we suggest placing a cloth next to the taps to give it a polish when it needs it. Regularly drying your black hardware will prevent water damage and watermarks from appearing on the surface.
Deep Cleaning
Similar to above, warm soapy water is enough to preserve the coating of your tap and you can also clean with a 75/25 lemon juice and water solution for a tougher clean. It’s important to ensure this isn’t left on to soak for more than a couple of minutes before rinsing and always use a soft cloth to clean.
Harsh Chemicals
For special finish taps such as matt black, chrome or brushed brass, it’s especially important to avoid using harsh chemicals when cleaning. Chemicals such as bleach and vinegar can affect the quality and plating of the material, causing it to tarnish the surface.
Do Black Taps Scratch?
We recommend only using soft microfibre cloths when cleaning your matt black taps. abrasive materials such as scourers and even toothbrushes can cause damage to the surface of your tap. You should also be conscious to not scratch your taps with rings if you're wearing them!
Sparkling Black Taps
As long as you take good care of your black taps, they'll stand the test of time in your space. Check out our full range of black bathroom taps here and you'll be sure to find the right fit!
