I tried the viral candlewax hack to polish my bathroom tap and I can honestly say it’s never looked better

It’s so easy for bathroom hardware to become dull and tired-looking. A splash of toothpaste here and a dollop of soap scum there, it’s hard to hide on metal fixtures. But testing the viral candlewax hack to polish my tap, I was impressed with how it returned my chrome to its former glory.

Sparkling hardware is one simple way to elevate your budget bathroom ideas. Therefore giving them a good polish is one way to elevate their look at minimal expense.

Now my rental bathroom is nothing special, but seeing the viral wax hack deliver incredibly polished results, it was a bathroom cleaning hack I knew I wanted to try it. I found the hack lived up to expectations - my taps were so shiny after, I could have taken a selfie in the chrome.

@the_gooch

♬ original sound - The Gooch

In a viral TikTok post, that racked up over 3 million views, creator @the_gooch revealed his hack for protecting his chrome faucet from water spots. In the video, he used a standard wax candle and rubbed it all over the faucet, making sure to coat the whole thing in a waxy film. Then, using a microfibre cloth, he buffed the wax into the hardware, polishing it dry. Buffing until the metal shone, the creator demonstrated the hack was complete by splashing water on the tap - seeing it bounce off the tap, the waxy polish had protected it.

‘Using wax on chrome taps is an effective way to maintain their pristine and shiny appearance, preventing water stains and blemishes that can dull the surface over time and make your bathroom look less clean and inviting,’ says Ryan Calvert, product manager at Hiatt Hardware.

‘Applying a layer of wax also prevents mineral buildup which can lead to plumbing issues and skin irritation if left for too long. By incorporating this quick and simple step into your cleaning routine, you'll significantly reduce the time and effort needed to keep your taps looking their best.’

Trying the candlewax polish hack out myself

I started the hack by wiping my tap down with my Dettol Peach Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray (£2 at Poundland), to wipe away any dirt or grime that way interfered with my polishing.

I’d picked up a cheap unfragranced pillar candle for £1.75 at Tesco and rubbed it all over the faucet. I found I didn’t need to push too hard for the candle to leave a waxy residue and it took just five minutes to coat the entire tap. I then grabbed a standard microfibre cloth (I found a pack of 12 for £11.99 on Amazon). Almost immediately I noticed a difference - the metal immediately became much shinier and after working my way all over the tap, it positively shone. As a final step, I splashed a bit of water on the tap, and as I’d hoped it bounced off the tap.

The whole process took at most 15 minutes as I was also impressed with how cheap it was - I always like to be stocked up on microfibre clothes and the only reason I splashed out on the cheap pillar candle was because I didn’t want to use one of my best-scented candles.

Now I have taps I could take a selfie in, It’s safe to say I’ve found my new favourite method for polishing my bathroom hardware.