Polished Nickel vs. Brushed Nickel | Faucet Materials

Polished Nickel and brushed Nickel are excellent for use in the bathroom and kitchen. However, polished Nickel is unique and is best known for its corrosion and scratch resistance. In addition, the polished Nickel has a gleaming tone that creates an exciting warm feel compared to brushed Nickel, which has a boring color.

Identifying the difference between polished and brushed Nickel is easy if you are keen. An example is when you splash water on the surfaces of both nickels. The brushed Nickel hides the water spots while the polished Nickel shows every drop.

Additionally, polished Nickel has a shiny surface with a gleaming look than brushed Nickel. If you look closely at the polished nickel finish, it resembles chrome. Suppose you have initially failed to understand which Nickel is the best, then this article best suits your needs. I have explained every point in detail. Read the answers to the frequently asked questions and, finally, the conclusion of the whole article.

Polished Nickel Definition

Polished Nickel is a metallic finish that shines on bright surfaces due to reflections. It also has shiny plating attached to it that is made from brass. The reason why many people refer to the Nickel as polished is due to the bright look the Nickel has.

From a distance, it is hard to realize polished Nickel. But the polished Nickel starts to reflect its rays when you edge closer. So don’t be confused when differencing between the two nickels as they almost look similar. Mainly the Nickel is used with other assets like Sacramento lever, Bowery knob, Greyson, and Latitude lever.

Features of Polished Nickel

• The Nickel has a bright shiny surface
• The gleaming nature of the Nickel creates a warm feel
• Mostly identical by its bright color
• They are paired with Sacramento lever, Bowery knob, Greyson, and Latitude lever

Pros and Cons of Polished Nickel

Pros of Polished Nickel

• The Nickel has a bright feel that gives a unique warm feel

The shiny materials used to make polished Nickel have a bright look. The Nickel is identified in the house by its glowing look.

• It helps your house to have a beautiful look

If you are a person who finds happiness in bright objects, then it is advisable to purchase polished Nickel for your house. The bright look helps your home to be attractive.

• Simple to clean

One of the advantages of using polished Nickel is that it is easy to clean both inside and outside. I am sure no one will want a tool that gets dirty easily and is difficult to remove. So use polished Nickel for quick cleaning.

• Corrosion Resistance

Due to the materials, the polished Nickel is made of, it has a slippery surface that prevents corrosion. Therefore, choose polished Nickel for durability and higher work performance.

• Scratch resistance

Polished Nickel being scratch-resistant is one of the reasons why many people purchase the product. Unfortunately, the scratch marks on surfaces not only disrupt the performance of the Nickel but also make the Nickel look ugly and old. Always ensure your surfaces are clean and taken good care of.

• Resistance to cleaning products

The chemicals and reagents used to clean the polished Nickel do not react to its surfaces. Instead, the chemicals change the Nickel’s color, turning a new nickel into an old one. 

Cons of polished Nickel

• Needs More Maintenance Over Time

Although polished nickel is extremely durable, it needs more maintenance over time.

Brushed Nickel Definition

Brushed Nickel is a metallic tool with a dull look. The boring look is made by brushing off the shiny nature with a wire brush to minimize the bright appearance. Although some prefer dull surfaces over bright ones, this is their pick.

Features of Brushed Nickel

• Brushed Nickel has a dull color
• Mostly sold at an affordable price
• The Nickel does not recognize a fingerprint or any mark
• Simple to clean
• Adds texture to the kitchen and slippery bathrooms

Pros and Cons of Brushed Nickel

Pros of brushed Nickel

• Mostly pairs with stainless steel appliances

Brushed Nickel at home should be paired with stainless steel due to its dull appearance and work.

• The dull color

All brushed surfaces have a dull color to withstand dirt for longer durations. The male gender mostly prefers it.

• Simple to clean

Brushed Nickel is easy to clean because the surfaces have no bright colors to expose all the dirt openly.

• Brushed Nickel adds texture and luxury to the kitchen and bathrooms

The texture added by the brushed Nickel helps on slippery surfaces that are prone to causing accidents. The Nickel also adds beauty to the house just from its dull look.

• Brushed Nickel does not leave a mark or a fingerprint

The essential part of brushed Nickel is its nature of not allowing marks on the surface of the Nickel. Instead, the nickel surface enables a water spot to appear. However, brushed Nickel is not good in areas where pandemics erupted as it can hide a disease such as a corona on its surface.

Cons of brushed Nickel

• Difficult to match the available fixtures

After a brushed nickel is manufactured, a wire brush is passed through to reduce the brightness. However, getting the same finish for all the touches of your home’s kitchen and bathroom is always challenging.

• Brushed Nickel is expensive

Even though many people purchase brushed Nickel, it is relatively expensive. Therefore, it is unsuitable for people with a fixed budget and plan.

• Unstable finish

Brushed Nickel has no universal finish as it depends on different vendors who produce it. In the kitchen and bathroom, the difference between satin and browner causes much debate, resulting in an unstable finish.

Table of Comparison between Polished Nickel vs. Brushed Nickel

Polished Nickel	Brushed Nickel
Warm hue and bright color	The dark tone and dull feel
Shows fingerprints and wet marks	It does not show any marks
Has texture	No texture
It does not add texture	Adds texture
Mostly polished	Mostly brushed
Bright sheen	Dark sheen

Kitchen Faucet Materials

• Brass faucets

Brass is the most known model of the center faucet material apart from its bright look for home users. Some users use it for their finishes.

• Stainless steel faucets

Most stainless-steel faucets are versatile. The finishes it has used for the faucet. The faucets have a crisply modern nature.

• Zinc and zinc alloy faucets

The zinc and zinc alloy faucets are affordable compared to brass faucets which are expensive while controlling the corrosion of certain materials. 

• Chrome

Compared to brushed nickel fittings, chrome fittings are made differently. As a result, chrome and brass are first bonded by an electrolysis bond. As a result, water and heat will not affect chrome so it will remain permanently attached to the fixture.

So there are some differences between faucet materials based on their characteristics and manufacturing process. Before deciding on the best one, you must know the materials well.

Frequently asked questions

Is Polished Nickel expensive as compared to Brushed Nickel?

Yes, polished Nickel is far more expensive than Brushed Nickel because Brushed Nickel is cheap during production than Polished Nickel.

Is Polished Nickel similar to Brushed Nickel?

No, they are not the same at all. However, they have the same name, Nickel, which works best in bathrooms and kitchens. The Nickel has its comparisons but is not similar when looking at the tone and texture.

Is Polished Nickel in Style?

Absolutely yes. Polished Nickel is not out of style. However, you have a different opinion about utilizing Polished Nickel in the kitchen and bathroom.

Does Brushed Nickel in line with Grey?

Yes, Brushed Nickel is in line with Grey. That indicates that you can combine your home assets using Brushed Nickel and some Grey assets.

Does Vinegar Hurt Polished Nickel?

Yes, and Polished Nickel impacts the finish, mostly when cleaning. If you want to utilize vinegar to clean the Polished Nickel, dilute the acid in the vinegar. It is advisable to act on cleaning the Polished Nickel.

Prohibit yourself from using abrasive, alcohol-based acid, or any solvent to do the cleaning on the Polished Nickel. Also, don’t soak or attach the Nickel in Vinegar, as it can result in an issue in the Nickel finish.

Does Polished Nickel Tarnish?

After some period, Polish Nickel always tarnishes. In humid environments like bathrooms, the Polished Nickel produces a natural milky tarnish after some time. But it will not start immediately as it waits for a long.

Does Brushed Nickel in line with Stainless Steel?

Brushed Nickel is not in line with Stainless steel. The reason is that Stainless steel mostly gleams as compared to Brushed Nickel which has a dull look. Brushed Nickel is built with a dull appearance which is not a favorite for blending with Stainless Steel.

Conclusion

When selecting metal finishes for bathrooms and kitchens, we advise that you go with faucets first. We prefer you use polished Nickel for kitchen faucets to withstand the stainless-steel assets. In addition, it is good to ensure you provide higher maintenance to the materials you are using to ensure durability and higher performance from the tools.

Always select the polished Nickel for bathroom vanity faucets, similar to coordinating the polished bath hardware. Brushed Nickel is good. However, they are dark and not beautiful, in our opinion. If you find difficulties choosing the two, kindly ask for help from the nearest plumbing shop.