"lighting plays a sneaky role too—certain angles or types of bulbs seem to highlight water spots way more than others."
You're spot-on regarding lighting. I've noticed the same issue, particularly with LED bulbs that have cooler tones—they seem to amplify every little imperfection. Switching to warmer, softer bulbs has helped me quite a bit. Also, I've found that applying a thin layer of car wax (the non-abrasive kind) on fixtures can reduce water spotting significantly. It sounds odd, but it creates a subtle barrier that helps water bead off more easily. Of course, it's not a permanent fix—you'll need to reapply every couple of months—but it does make day-to-day upkeep less frustrating.
And I agree about embracing some imperfections as "character." After years of owning homes and tackling renovations, I've learned there's rarely such a thing as completely maintenance-free finishes... just varying degrees of manageable!
You're definitely onto something with the wax trick—I tried it once on a whim after detailing my car and had some leftover wax. It actually worked surprisingly well, though I admit I felt a little silly waxing my bathroom fixtures at first. But hey, whatever works, right?
One thing I've noticed is that the finish of the fixture itself makes a huge difference. Matte black fixtures look amazing when they're brand new, but man, they show every single water spot and fingerprint imaginable. I learned this the hard way after installing them in a rental property—tenants weren't exactly thrilled about constantly wiping them down. Switched to brushed nickel in the next place, and it was night-and-day easier to maintain.
Another thing that's helped me is just keeping a microfiber cloth handy near the sink. Sounds overly simple, but if you give the faucet a quick wipe-down after each use (or at least once a day), it really cuts down on buildup. Takes literally five seconds and saves you from having to scrub later.
As for lighting, you're right about cooler LEDs highlighting imperfections. But honestly, I prefer brighter lighting in bathrooms anyway—makes shaving or makeup application easier. So instead of changing bulbs, I just accepted that I'll have to be more diligent about wiping things down regularly. It's a trade-off I'm willing to make.
At the end of the day, though, you're totally right—there's no such thing as zero-maintenance fixtures or finishes. You just gotta pick your battles and decide what's worth your time and effort...and maybe learn to live with a few spots here and there as part of life's charm.
