I know what you are thinking— what the H-E-double L is a sink aerator? My husband's grandmother once mentioned cleaning it, and I had to quickly Google what she was talking about. To clarify, this is the mesh screen disk that sits where the water comes out of the faucet.
I want to warn you, if you have never cleaned these areas of your home and you live in a part of the nation with hard water, what you are about to find is startling. White calcium deposits form on this part of your sink from just running the water. And because it's located on the underbelly of the spout, you have likely missed the buildup for a while.
White Vinegar Can Make Cleaning Your Sink Aerator Easy
Thankfully, for most people, the cleaning method is simple. Take a quart-sized zipper sealed baggie and fill it halfway up with white vinegar. Then, submerge the sink head in the vinegar and adhere the baggie to the spout using a rubber band. Let it sit for 15 minutes and watch as the calcium buildup magically melts away!
Once this is done, you can gently scrub the aerator with a toothbrush and break away the remaining deposits! For those with bigger buildup, you may need to repeat this process a few times.
Need to Know
Vinegar should never be used on aluminum or copper. Always take the time to spot check your cleaning products on an inconspicuous part of the area that you plan to clean to determine if they are compatible before applying the product anywhere else.