Exact same problem looks awful 4 new faucets and 3 bath shower trims. Have not even moved in the house yet.

Just had a brushed nickel Delta products bathroom renovation done s few months ago and I agree with the comments about water spots. Hate it already. Lowe’s installed it and are checking on it with Delta.

I just bought some spot resist brushed nickel Moen faucets. Hopefully they work well.

I have been using baby wipes. Not sure if they will cause harm in the long run as I can’t find much information.

It is often the minerals in your water, as well as oils from your skin etc. When I worked in a plumbing showroom, the models in brushed nickel would always get spotty - and they were not in water ever. It was just from people touching them. Polished finishes would wipe clean with swipe of a cloth.

I have to say after reading the previous comments, I tried the Pledge method, soap and water and a mild cleaner. None of these worked. I was trying to clean my heat registers in the bathrooms and kitchen. Through normal mopping and taking "the quick way out", they were just covered over with a mop for quick cleaning. This led to the spots on the registers . so I tried a very thin coating of silver polish. I let it sit for about 5 minutes and then used a microfiber cloth to remove the spots. Long finger nails are a plus, but if not, then use a table knife under the micro cloth to push the stain marks off. Worked like a champ!! They have now been restored to their like-new status and luster.... Worth trying, just FYI. July 2019

We are having the same problem thank you for the suggestions I hope I can post a shiny picture next time

Disheartened to see all these comments. We moved in a week ago and nearly all the fixtures (Delta stainless steel, Delta brushed nickel, IKEA brushed nickel) look smudgy despite attempts to gently clean, using manufacturers' recommendations. Microfiber, soft cotton cloth, my flannel shirt sleeve...tried 'em all without success.

The only bathroom that looks good is our guest bath (Delta polished chrome) that barely has been used. NEVER thought I would care about smudgy fixtures, but here I am, ugh.

This discussion started in 2016, and my new Kohler faucets almost always look crummy and old. I wiped them off for the picture but the top of the left handle shows the idea.

Apparently Kohler hasn't gotten the word!

My brand new kohler faucets look horrible and I haven’t even used them. Delta faucet is new as well and will not clean. I am sick especially with my Koehler faucets that were expensive in

mu eatation. I tried the vinegar and water and soap etc it did not budge. I called delta customer service and they told me the same thing. “Your problem”. It’s not my problem. There has to be accountability on the

bramd since we all have the same problem with brushed nickel!!!

this is a 4 year old thread. but for those who may be reading this now: almost all of my brushed stainless fixtures look spotty and smudgy all the time, all different brands. I even tried polishing with waxes or oils to try to get water to not bead up, but nothing really works.

the only one that looks amazing all the time is my Moen Edwyn kitchen faucet with spot resistant coating. it's insane how well that coating works! the only time it looks dirty is if I grab it with food on my hands. I just wipe it with a microfiber cloth and try to never use anything harsh for fear of ruining the spot resistant coating.

Try an automotive ceramic coating or wax. Turtle Wax Seal n Shine is the cheapest and best wearing product. It is a hybrid ceramic/wax and it works on fixtures as well. They sell ceramic coatings but they can be finicky and expensive.

wannabath very interesting, I will try that!

are there any other finishes or faucet brands you recommend? I don't remember having this spotty problem with my old chrome moen faucet from the 80s. but I have seen newer chrome faucets that get very spotty.

an aside: I realized that shape makes a big difference. two of my faucets have squared off / flat surfaces, so of course the water can't roll off. ugh, bad design.

Has anyone found a cleaner that works? I won’t be repetitive here but they are brand new and have looked terrible since the day they were installed. Mine are also Kohler from a special order. I wouldn’t have chosen this finish except we had to match a shower that we weren’t redoing. It literally looks filthy even once I wipe it down! Have tried vinegar, soft scrub, stainless cleanser. I need something easy because clearly this needs to be done multiple times daily to look clean and decent. Thanks for any suggestions!!

I think there are two different questions here. strong cleaners like barkeepers friend or vinegar is only needed for something stubborn like hard water or soap scum. but it seems to me that the big problem people are talking about in this thread is how to prevent your faucets from looking spotty all the time. the answer is: dry them off every time you use them (which sucks), or choose a different faucet with a spot resistant coating that actually works (like moen).

I tried to DIY a spot resistant coating. I've tried various waxes, oils -- anything that water would roll off. it kind of works but it's not that great.

Hi everyone, I just bought a Kohler Alteo faucet for my bathroom. I had read there were issues with fingerprints on Kohler faucets, along with Delta etc. But I was not thrilled to see there were already spots on it when I pulled it right out of the box. I really love the style of this faucet so I went on a hunt to find how to get and keep these faucets clean. I found a blog about cleaning them with WD-40. I didn't have WD-40 on hand but did have an equivalent product (Jigaloo) and I gave it a shot. Just sprayed a bit on the faucet and then wiped it all over with a slightly damp microfibre cloth. It worked like a charm. Even after it has dried, I touched it again to see if my fingerprints would leave more marks - so far nothing. So I'll be keeping the faucet!

Here's a link to that blog - https://www.eclecticredbarn.com/2013/07/spots-on-your-brushed-nickel-faucets.html#more

Side note - there is a company called Kraus who makes spot-free brushed nickel faucets. I have the Kraus "Nolen" kitchen faucet and I have never had to clean a single spot off it, in over 1 year. When my plumber installed it, he said that a lot of brands claim to be spot-free, but this was the first time he'd actually seen a product that lived up to that. Unfortunately they have a limited number of styles available for bathroom faucets, and only one 2-handle faucet. But if you find a style you like, I can vouch for them as far as the spot-free feature goes.

I hate to be a naysayer, but I 100% don't recommend Kraus. sorry! it's just as spotty as the cheap Ikea faucet in the other bathroom. I've tried oils, waxes, silicones, (and yes, WD40). it helps with the vertical surfaces for a short period but you have to re-apply on a regular basis. but for mine, the flat top shape is working against it. the water pools and never rolls off. worst design ever. (so if you must get a Kraus, get one with rounded / slanted surfaces.

I also have to constantly tighten the set screw every few weeks or the handle falls off.

but like I said above, my Moen spot resistant kitchen faucet is the real deal. I'm convinced it was created by wizards.

It's funny because I have the opposite experience - great with Kraus so far, not great with Moen. I had a few Moen faucets in a former home and they were my arch nemesis'!

how funny! maybe the amazing Moen finish is a more recent innovation. also, maybe I got one of the cheapr Kraus models. I know that with some brands, there are different qualities / different price tiers.

Had expensive Koehler fixture installed in master bathroom 2 weeks ago and it looks awful - streaky, water dots. You wipe it and still looks dirty. Don’t want to use anything abrasive but this is crazy. Almost like cheap metal was used In the production. Have a Moen in the shower that is 10 years old and looks bright and shiny even before wiping it down. Don’t understand.

@Susanne Cerruto, have you contacted Kohler and if so, what was their response?

4 years later, I have grown to live with my spotty Kohler faucet. I clean it with soapy water, then wipe down with soft cloth. Still leaves fingerprints and water stains (dark spots, actually). Living with it, that's all. The shower fixture looks like it's been used for years. Someone asked about a brand to use? For other renovations, I went back to Grohe polished chrome (in my master bath) and stainless steel (my kitchen faucet). Love them both. I know it's pricey, but surprisingly less than Kohler!!!

Bar Keepers Friend is amazing on nickel and stainless steel finishes, ceramic surfaces (stove top), shower glass, and hard water surfaces (sinks and toilets - use light grit sander). $2 at Walmart.

Yikes! Disheartened to read these posts as I just installed all brushed nickel fixtures in my new bathroom remodel! Love the look but guess I should have done more research! Has anyone ever tried using a Magic Erasure to clean the fingerprints?

The key to brushed nickel is wiping faucets dry after each use. Tedious? Yes, but the fingerprints and waterspots drove me to distraction. Be careful about using any cleaner with D-Limonene. Over time, it can have a negative affect on the finish. If you use it, wipe it off immediately, rather than applying it to multiple areas before wiping dry. A soft terrycloth towel that has never seen fabric softener works best (roving wool dryer balls are recommended for dryer use).

Thank you! There are some spots from when the contractor installed a new faucet to the existing tub. Should I follow the instructions above to clean them up?

Absolutely! Although you'll see that Kohler had recommended using Clorox Greenworks, I found that it contained D-Limonene, and after seeing what it did to my sink drain edging, I ceased using it. I found other consumers' comments online noting the same problem.

No further problems if the surface is wiped dry after every use, as noted above.

No further problems if the surface is wiped dry after every use

that's an unrealistic expectation in most households. which is why I'm obsessed with the spot resistant coating on my moen. too bad it's too expensive to replace all of my fixtures, but maybe one day.

So happy I used chrome. Moen and Delta, no problems.

Norwex bathroom cleaner diluted was an absolute miracle worker. They were beyond horrible before i used it. You have to let it sit for a few minutes and then repeat the process several times but I was pretty shocked that it worked

Thanks for all the tips! I must embrace my brushed nickel cuz I do love them and just invested a bundle on a master bathroom remodel so my brushed nickel fixtures are now my previous babies! HA! Does Norwex contain any chemicals that would damage the finish of the brushed nickel? What is the water to Norwex ratio to dilute?

@Michelle Persails, are you speaking of the Norwex Bathroom Cleaner or the Norwex Cleaning Paste or ? Also, did you also get the Norwex stainless steel cleaning cloth?

@Julie Harrelson all products on the Norwex site have an ingredients list. Or you can just call their toll-free number 1-866-450-7499.

@Julie Harrelson-please see the article at the Washington Post website re: cleaning corrosion from brushed nickel. It explains what chemicals should be avoided, and mentions a product called "Flitz", which I've never tried. Allegedly, Kohler's new "Vibrant" finish is supposed to have been treated with a physical vapor barrier, similar to Moen products, but better safe than sorry, given the cost of your remodel.

Thanks All! I had a great convo with a gentleman at Flitz this morning and ordered some products! Fingers crossed!

@Julie Harrelson, we await your review! Good luck!

I have had the same issue with Kohler's brush nickel fixtures. We just built a house and the fixtures are brand new and look cheap, tin-like, and spot so easily. I contacted Kohler and they would not do anything to replace them or stand behind their product. They suggested using their cleaner. Very disappointed in Kohler and their products. I have other brushed nickel faucets from Moen and Delta and they look very nice, and do not have these issues that the Kohler brand does.

@Chris Johnson-your faucet most likely lacks a PVD finish. Many cleaning agents, toothpastes, and mouthwashes can negatively affect brushed nickel. Try cleaning with a small amount of Bon Ami cleanser on a wet microfiber cloth. Rinse and buff dry, following the finish grain, then apply a good coat of a better grade of car wax and buff gently.

@Julie Harrelson how has the Flitz test gone? I am assuming you are using the Polish Paste? I would like to try for my faucets, if you have any luck. I also have an issue with tarnished chrome on my car, and it sounds like this could fix that problem as well. Thx!

Hey Christie, I have not yet used the Flitz product. But I did buy the polish, ceramic sealant and two mircrofiber clothes and will most likely tackle this project next week. Remodel is finishing up and I'm just waiting until the workers clear out of my space! HA! I will advise...

Ohhhh got it! My remodel is just finishing up too, today or Monday. Can't wait to spend hours cleaning the dust off of literally every object in my house :(

OMG! The DUST! I had NO IDEA it would be so much! 🤣🤣🤣

@Julie Harrelson did the Filtz products work?

@ Julie Harrelson

GREAT! 👍🏻

Just tried a little Bar Keepers Friend, which took off much of the dark discoloration, and followed with tiny amounts of WD40 - polishing it in/off. It seems to have worked! We’ll see what happens once water hits it again. But all the stains, which have been there since my bathroom faucet was installed years ago, are gone.

@julie harrelson what specific Filtz products do you use on your Kohler faucets?

Has anyone tried Grade #0000 steel wool pads on the smudges and hard water spots? It works amazingly well on chrome, as in they look brand new out of the box. I know the discussion is about brushed nickel but if #0000 steel wool doesn’t scratch chrome I’d think it wouldn’t scratch brushed nickel either. Also, does it make a difference if you use BKF soft cleanser or BKF powder cleanser?

My Kohler brushed nickel (super expensive, $600 a faucet) installed last year looked AWFUL as soon as I started using it. Spots everywhere. Tried wiping. Tried Barkeeper's Friend. No use. Then I tried WD40 - miraculous!

I had super expensive Kohler brushed nickel fittings whch looked AWFUL as soon as I started to use them. I tried BarKeeper's friend. Did nothing. Then I wiped on WD40. Miracle! Spots disappeared.