Question from Tara
We are putting in a new kitchen faucet and new cabinet pulls. Do you have any advice on the best finish for these items? I will be handling the faucet and the door pulls often while handling food so I want to be sure nothing toxic will rub off onto my hands. I thought stainless would be the safest, but for the door pulls, I can only find a nickel finish in the size we need. For the faucet, I found a stainless faucet from Moen and one from Delta, but Moen’s faucet has a Spot Resist finish and the Delta faucet has a Brilliance Finish. Moen’s website didn’t have much on the Spot Resist finish, but Delta’s Brilliance Finish said they embed molecules deep into the finish through a process that uses various gasses and zirconium. Would I be better off going with a chrome finish for the faucets? The chrome faucets don’t seem to have these special finishes.
Thank you so much for your advice!
Debra’s Answer
I am at a loss at the moment as to how to respond to this.
Let me just tell you my thought process.
When I first became aware of things toxic, it was about products that offgassed toxic fumes into the air. And so I was just looking for products that didn’t offgas.
It wasn’t until only a few years ago that I began to be aware of metals, their dangers, and exposures.
While I don’t wear costume jewelry because the nickel gives me skin rashes, all my faucets are brushed nickel. I have had no problem with them at all.
Now, because lead can be released through touch and absorbed through the skin, I am now questioning other metals. OK I just looked it up. “Nickel is poorly absorbed through the skin.” If you want to know about other metals, search for “[name of metal] skin absorption.”
An even greater concern with faucets is the material that your water flows through. Before the initial lead free legislation, most manufacturers used brass and, to reduce their costs, lead. As of November 2013, manufacturers are required to sell faucets with even less lead. Manufacturers chose to meet these new requirements in different ways. Some (e.g. Delta) use a metal alloy (with nickel), plastic lined waterways, and plastic parts. Others (e.g. Moen, Grohe) use stainless steel, while still others claim to use special coatings inside the waterways (to protect consumers from lead) as well as outside (to keep it sparkling). Some use a combination of these methods. Thus far, each manufacturer’s website that I’ve checked has insufficient information to fully evaluate their product for compatibility, so requires a call to the manufacturer. ;-( It appears they still have much to learn about consumers’ needs and wants!