Does matt black brassware tarnish quicker than chrome or brass?

Matt black does not tarnish quicker in the chemical sense. It looks like it has, sooner, because hard water writes in white on a black surface, and because people then attack that mark with a cleaner the coating cannot take.

What the finish actually is

Chrome is a hard plated surface. Brushed brass, in almost every modern bathroom range, is also a plated finish, not a lump of living brass. Matt black is a coating too. None of them are supposed to patina. Unlacquered brass is the one that darkens on purpose, and it is rare on a shower valve. If your black tap is going patchy, something has worn the coating. It has not “aged”.

Why black looks worse, faster

• —Limescale is pale. On chrome it is a speck. On matt black it is a tide mark you can see from the door.
• —Toothpaste and soap sit in the grain of a matt surface more than on a polished one.
• —Acid gel left to “soak” etches the coating. The patch then looks like tarnish, and it is permanent.
• —A scouring pad shines the matt off. That shiny bruise is not dirt. It is damage.

How it compares, in a real house

Chrome is the most forgiving and the most ordinary. Plated brushed brass marks if it is neglected, and it suits a warmer room. Matt black is the sharpest and the least forgiving of the wrong bottle under the sink. We still specify it, because a wiped black tap looks superb. We do not pretend it is a finish you can bleach. Matte black, chrome and brushed brass are the included finishes on our luxury brassware. The care is part of choosing it.

How to look after matt black brassware →

Brushed brass, for comparison →