To clean a faucet aerator, unscrew it from the tip of the spout, take the screen apart, soak the parts in white vinegar for a few minutes, scrub them with an old toothbrush, rinse, and screw it back on. Recessed aerators need a small removal key. Do it about every six months, or whenever the stream starts spraying sideways.
The aerator is the little mesh insert at the end of the spout. It mixes air into the water so the stream is soft and doesn't splash, and its screens catch whatever grit and scale come down the pipe. Eventually they catch enough to block the flow.
Signs your faucet aerator needs cleaning#
- The stream splits, sputters, or shoots off at an angle.
- One faucet runs noticeably weaker than the others in the house, on both hot and cold.
- You've had plumbing work done, or there's been a water main repair on your street. Denver Water recommends cleaning aerators after any construction that affects your water service, because loosened debris ends up in the screens.
Moen's aerator guide puts it simply: aerators collect debris and mineral deposits over time, which restricts water pressure and distorts the spray.
Which type of aerator do you have?#
Look at the end of the spout before you grab any tools.
- Exposed: you can see a round metal or plastic cap with threads, either on the outside of the aerator or inside it. These unscrew by hand or with gentle help from pliers.
- Concealed: the aerator sits flush inside the spout, often with two small notches or a hex shape. Moen says these need a removal tool, supplied with the faucet or in a service kit, or a hex wrench, depending on the style.
- Non-accessible: no visible aerator at all. Moen notes that on these faucets the filtering happens in in-line filters at the ends of the supply lines under the sink, which is a separate job.
How to clean a faucet aerator#
- Close the sink stopper or lay a cloth over the drain. The parts are small and roll.
- Unscrew the aerator. For an exposed one, try your fingers first. If it won't budge, wrap it in a towel or rag and use pliers, as Denver Water suggests, so the jaws don't scratch the finish. For a concealed one, fit the key or wrench and turn. Moen's guide notes the direction depends on whether the threads are on the outside or inside of the aerator, so if it won't go one way, check before you force it.
- Lay the parts out in the order they came off: usually an outer housing, one or more screens or a plastic insert, and a rubber washer. Take a phone photo if it's your first time.
- Rinse off loose grit under the tap. You'll often find sand, flakes of white scale, or bits of rubber from an old washer.
- Soak the metal and plastic parts in white vinegar. Denver Water suggests five minutes; heavier scale can take longer, so check every 15 minutes or so.
- Scrub each piece with an old toothbrush. A toothpick clears individual holes in the screen.
- Rinse well, reassemble in the same order with the washer in place, and screw it back on hand-tight. Overtightening squashes the washer and makes the next removal harder.
- Run the water and check the stream and the joint. A drip from the threads usually means the washer is out of place.
Why aerators matter if you have lead pipes#
Aerators don't filter water, but they do trap particles, and in older homes some of those particles can contain lead. The EPA's advice to Flint residents explains that lead-bearing sediment can come from corroding leaded solder and build up in aerator screens, and during that crisis EPA recommended cleaning them weekly. Denver Water says cleaning every six months is especially important for homes with a lead service line or lead plumbing.
If you're not sure what your pipes are made of, your water utility can usually tell you about the service line and arrange testing. Cleaning the aerator doesn't replace a lead test.
What to do when the aerator won't come off#
Scale can cement an aerator onto the spout. Tie a small plastic bag of white vinegar around the end of the spout so the aerator is submerged, leave it for an hour, and try again with the towel and pliers. Don't attack a recessed aerator with a screwdriver; the slots strip easily and the spout finish scratches.
If it's damaged or still won't clean up, replacement aerators are inexpensive. Take the old one to the hardware store, or match the thread type (male or female), size, and the flow rate stamped on the side so the replacement doesn't change how the faucet behaves.
If the flow is still weak after cleaning#
Run the faucet with the aerator off. If the flow is still weak with nothing on the spout, the restriction is upstream: the cartridge, a partly closed shutoff valve under the sink, or in-line filters on some faucets. If only one side, hot or cold, is weak, look at that side's supply line and valve. If every faucet in the house is weak, it's a supply pressure question for your utility or a plumber.
Showerheads clog for the same reasons; the showerhead cleaning guide covers the vinegar soak for those. Do the kitchen faucet at the same time, and give the kitchen sink drain a look while you're under there. A twice-yearly reminder in ChoreLists.com covers every aerator in the house in one go.