Whats the best way to clean an old faucet that is very gunked up inside? Got one from a friend and need to clean it up for use. Can i soak it in something?
Thanks!
PBW is good for breaking down caked-on gunk - soak the faucet in a warm solution for a couple of hours then hit it with a wire brush. Repeat.
Taking the faucet apart helps a lot too. If you unscrew the knurled knob just below where the tap handle screws in, you can remove the tap lever and pull all the parts out of the faucet.
If you can get it apart, that is going to be your best bet.
And there are 2 tiny airholes that can be cleaned with pipe cleaners.
This
http://www.draughtquality.org/w/page/18182199/Faucet
might help as well.
I turn off the gas and pour what will come out of the line. I take off the faucet and soak it in hot water. After 10 minutes or so, the faucet should disassemble quite easily. I scrub all the parts, rinse and reassemble. Turn the gas back on and enjoy.
I do this once every 2 weeks.
