Bathroom Faucet Dripping? Find Your Faucet Type, Then Fix It
A drip from the spout means a worn washer, seat, O-ring or cartridge. Name your faucet type, shut off the water and swap the worn part in under an hour.
By Jamilur Rahman Updated November 5, 2026 · 7 min read
- Time
- 30-60 min
- Cost
- Under $20
- Difficulty
- Medium
In this guide
Quick answer
A faucet that drips when it is off has a worn washer, seat, O-ring or cartridge inside. The fix depends on the faucet type, so identify yours first. Turn off the water, open the faucet up and swap the worn part. A repair kit with washers and O-rings fixes older two-handle faucets, and a single-handle faucet usually needs a matching cartridge.
Free fix vs. permanent fix
Tighten and clean it
- Shut off both supply valves under the sink
- Tighten a loose handle or packing nut a little
- Soak scaled parts in white vinegar and rinse them
- Reassemble and watch the spout for 10 minutes
How long it lasts: Weeks to a few months. It works for a loose packing nut or mineral grit, but not for a worn washer or cartridge.
A faucet repair kit with new washers, seats and O-rings
Rubber washers and O-rings go flat or hard after years of squeezing and heat, which is why a faucet drips even when the handle is tight. A kit replaces exactly those parts. On single-handle faucets, a matching cartridge does the same job.
What to get: Faucet repair kit with washers, O-rings and valve seats
How long it lasts: Often several years, because the worn rubber is replaced with fresh parts.
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What you'll need
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Screwdrivers and hex keys
For the handle screw, which may sit under a cap
You have it -
Adjustable wrench and old towel
The towel plugs the drain and pads the wrench jaws
You have it -
White vinegar
Dissolves mineral scale on parts
You have it - Our pick Illustration
Faucet repair kit
Washers, seats and O-rings for two-handle faucets
- Illustration
Brand-matched replacement cartridge
For single-handle or quarter-turn faucets
- Illustration
Silicone plumber's grease
A thin film on O-rings helps them seal and last
Why it happens
A worn washer or seat in a compression faucet
Two-handle faucets that you turn several times to close use a rubber washer pressed on a brass seat. The washer wears flat and the seat gets pitted. A drip from the spout, often on the hot side, usually means this.
A worn cartridge or ceramic disc
Single-handle faucets, and many two-handle quarter-turn faucets, use a cartridge or a ceramic disc cylinder. Seals wear and mineral scale scratches the surfaces, so the faucet drips or will not shut off.
Worn O-rings
O-rings seal around the stem or cartridge. A leak at the base of the spout or around the handle usually means an O-ring has hardened or flattened.
Hard water and high pressure
Mineral scale roughens the parts, and high water pressure speeds up wear, so a faucet that is a few years old may already be dripping.
Try this first (free)
Do these in order, starting with the simplest.
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1. Identify your faucet type
Two handles that turn several times until they stop are compression. A single lever, or two handles that turn a quarter turn, usually means a cartridge or ceramic disc. Note the brand name on the faucet. It matters for single-handle parts.
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2. Shut off the water and plug the drain
Tool used: Adjustable wrench and old towelTurn both valves under the sink clockwise, then open the faucet to release pressure. Stuff a rag in the drain so screws and small parts cannot fall in.
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3. Remove the handle
Tool used: Screwdrivers and hex keysPry off the decorative cap with a small flat screwdriver, remove the screw, which may need a hex key, and pull the handle off. Loosen the retaining nut with a wrench, wrapped in cloth to protect the finish.
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4. Inspect and clean
Tool used: White vinegarPull out the stem or cartridge. Look at the rubber washer, the O-rings and the brass seat. Soak scaled parts in vinegar for an hour, then rub them clean. Take a photo of the layout before you remove more.
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5. Replace the worn parts
Tool used: Faucet repair kitOn a compression faucet, replace the washer, its screw and the O-ring, and replace or resurface a rough seat. On a cartridge faucet, compare the old cartridge with the new one before you fit it. Smear a little plumber's grease on the O-rings.
IllustrationCheck price on AmazonTool for this step
Faucet repair kit · Washers, seats and O-rings for two-handle faucets
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6. Reassemble and test
Put it back in reverse order. Open the supply valves slowly, run hot and cold, and watch the spout for 10 minutes. If it still drips, the seat or cartridge may be the problem.
When free fixes aren't enough
If the drip stops after cleaning but returns within weeks, the washer, seal or cartridge is worn through, and cleaning cannot bring it back. Replace it. If the faucet is old, the metal is corroded, parts are hard to find or the seat is badly pitted, a new faucet may cost less than chasing parts. If the shut-off valves under the sink will not close, or water sprays when you loosen a nut, close the main valve and call a plumber. A drip is not just annoying: the EPA's WaterSense program says one drip a second wastes about 3,000 gallons a year.
Buy the fix
Still stuck after the free fixes? These are the products we would look at.
| Pick | Product | Fixes | Who it's for | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best pick | Faucet repair kit with washers, O-rings and valve seats | a drip from the spout, or a leak at the handle, on a compression faucet | Anyone with a two-handle faucet whose handles turn until they stop. | Check price |
| Upgrade pick | Replacement faucet cartridge matched to your faucet brand | a drip, or a faucet that will not shut off, on a single-handle faucet | Anyone with a single-handle or quarter-turn faucet. | Check price |
Faucet repair kit with washers, O-rings and valve seats
Fixes: a drip from the spout, or a leak at the handle, on a compression faucet
Look for: Assorted rubber washers, flat and beveled, in several sizes; O-rings in the sizes sold for faucet stems; Replacement brass valve seats and washer screws; A size chart or clear labels, so you can match your old parts.
- Who it's for
- Anyone with a two-handle faucet whose handles turn until they stop.
- Honest downside
- You have a single-handle faucet. Those use a cartridge, which a washer kit will not fix.
Replacement faucet cartridge matched to your faucet brand
Fixes: a drip, or a faucet that will not shut off, on a single-handle faucet
Look for: Made for your faucet's brand and model; The same stem length and shape as the old cartridge; O-rings or seals included.
- Who it's for
- Anyone with a single-handle or quarter-turn faucet.
- Honest downside
- You cannot find the brand or model. Take the old cartridge to a hardware store to compare, or consider a new faucet.
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How we picked: How we picked: this page is based on faucet repair guides, repair kit and cartridge maker instructions, EPA WaterSense leak guidance, and the problems and fixes people report in owner reviews. We do not test products by hand.
Match the symptom to the part
- Drip from the spout when off: washer and seat on a compression faucet, or the cartridge on a single-handle one.
- Water under the handle: the stem O-ring or the packing nut.
- Leak at the base of the spout: the spout O-rings.
- Stiff handle that will not shut off: a worn cartridge or heavy scale.
Photograph, then bring the old part
Take a photo at each step so you can put the parts back in order. Bring the old washer, O-ring or cartridge to the hardware store, or compare it against the package before you buy. A part that is close but not exact can leak.
What to skip
Cranking the handle shut and one-size cartridges
Forcing a handle tighter to stop a drip squeezes the worn washer more and damages the seat, so the leak gets worse. Skip cartridges that only claim to fit most faucets. If the shape does not match yours, it will leak.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my bathroom faucet keep dripping?
Why is my bathroom faucet leaking hot water only?
Why won't my bathroom faucet turn off?
How do I stop a leak at the base of the faucet?
Do I need a plumber?
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