Clean/Decalcify a Faucet Aerator - PEP BB plumbing.sand.tiny.cleanfaucet

I cleaned our kitchen sink Tapfaucet with distilled white vinegar. I used a bit of string to stop the hose retracting and left the faucet in a beaker of vinegar for a few hours. I then gave it a quick scrub and tested it. All good.

Here is my submission for the Plumbing & Hot Water Aspect - Sand for Straw - Clean and Decalcify a Faucet Aerator BB.

To document the completion of the BB, I have provided the following:
 - a before picture of the running faucet - operating poorly
 - an in-progress shot of cleaning/decalcifying the faucet aerator
 - an after picture of the running faucet  - operating properly
 - a description of the method for how the faucet aerator was cleaned/decalcified

This duplicate BB is for the guest bathroom sink at my sister's house.  I rinsed the grit out of the filter then soaked the aerator and assembly in a white vinegar bath. I also used a silicone scrubber after soaking.

Before: there seems to be a big air bubble in the water flow and the flow has large air bubbles that splash in my hand when I collect water to wash my face.
After: the water flows more evenly and does splash like before cleaning.

My kitchen faucet wasn't working as well as it did a couple of months ago so I decided to clean it. Although I couldn't remove the faucet as it was on too tightly for me to undo, I managed to decalcify quite a bit. Firstly, I used a metal scouring brush followed by putting vinegar into a reused bag and leaving it wrapped around the faucet for an hour. Finally, I scoured it again. As I didn't take off the faucet, I understand if this doesn't qualify for the BB.

I did this while I was doing the clean a bathroom BB.

To complete this BB, the minimum requirements are:
- Clean/decalcify a faucet aerator

To show you've completed this Badge Bit, you must show proof of the following (as pictures or a video < 2 mins):
- Dirty/calcified faucet operating poorly
- Cleaning/decalcifying the faucet
- Newly cleaned/decalcified faucet operating properly
- A description of the method for how the faucet aerator was cleaned/decalcified

Dirty faucet

Vinegar bath

Brushing off gunk

Clean faucet


I put rice vinegar in a ziplock bag and rubber banded it to the faucet for 30 minutes, then gently brushed off the gunk with a toothbrush (and used some fingernail to clean off the rest of the stuck on gunk).

Our water is incredibly high in iron so our aerators get clogged up very quickly. I soaked our kitchen aerator in a peroxide and vinegar solution for 24 hours, scrubbed it a bit, and then cleared the holes in the head with a toothpick.  It is working much better now.

Removed aerator with pliers, cleaned off with water/my fingers, then soaked it in bag of white vinegar for four hours (used the same bag of vinegar left over from the decalcifying showerhead challenge I posted yesterday).  Used an old toothbrush head to scrub off any remaining build-up on the aerator. Rinsed again with water and reinstalled in the faucet.