Keep Your Bathroom Faucet Smudge-Free With This Clever Candle Wax Hack

Your sink looks amazing on cleaning day, but once someone washes their hands, it's back to being water-splattered. The faucet especially has a tendency to look stained — everything from watermarks to soap scum can coat its spout, giving your bathroom a messy appearance. But you can keep it smudge-proof with a little bit of wax.

This bathroom cleaning hack from @MMarlo__5862 on TikTok is as effective as it is easy. If you have spent some time polishing your faucet and want to ensure it stays looking pristine for more than just an hour or two, throw a candlestick into your routine. You'll be waxing your faucet, thus keeping it stain free! It might seem like black magic, but it's just science. When wax is present, water is unable to spread across the surface. Instead, it forms beads and runs off. That's because the waxy residue forms a protective barrier on the surface, blocking the water from being absorbed. Since wax is hydrophobic, it naturally repels water. As the attractive forces between water molecules are stronger than the forces between water and wax molecules, the water molecules prefer to stay together and minimize their contact with the wax surface. They bead together and run off the surface.

Here's how this easy bathroom faucet cleaning hack works. First, you will need to rub the candlestick all over the spout, leaving behind a waxy residue. Make sure the faucet looks cloudy to ensure you have enough wax on it to work. Then take a microfiber cloth and buff it onto the metal. Keep rubbing until the wax has disappeared, leaving behind a shiny finish. And that's it! Now, when water lands on the faucet, the droplets will bead right off. You'll no longer have to deal with pesky hard water stains.

This water-versus-wax principle is used in a ton of different things, such as waterproofing materials and water-repellent coatings. Just think of raincoats, outdoor tiles, and weatherproof furniture — they all utilize a special waterproofing layer that makes water run right off of them. And now you can use that same science to keep your faucet clean.

Almost everyone has a spare candle at home; if you don't, you can buy one at the thrift store for less than a dollar. But if you don't have one handy nor do you want to head to the store, there is another household item you can use that will achieve that same waxy residue: Try wax paper!

Wax paper is used for rolling out dough or storing food in the fridge, and it is coated with thin layers of paraffin wax. That residue is what makes it nonstick and so helpful in the kitchen. But it can also be useful in the bathroom too. Simply rip off a small sheet and use it to buff your faucet. The wax is already on the paper, so all you need to do is rub it in. Keep in mind that this hack is best used on stainless steel faucets — the wax may ruin other finishes. If you have a nickel or copper faucet and want to try this, make sure to first rub it in an inconspicuous spot to see how the metal reacts with the wax.