A: Sorry, Charlie, but I think some bad decisions on your part may be a big reason behind your faucet problems. First, when you buy a new faucet, I recommend that you pay the extra money and invest in a high-end faucet.

High-end faucets with a well-known manufacturer's name, usually will offer several types of quality finishes along with attractive styling. The faucets themselves are made with heavy-duty materials and special finishing processes that really stand the test of time.

Some popular high-end faucet finishes right now are brushed chrome and brushed nickel. The brushed look can hide day-to-day fingerprints, and even if it's years old, can look like it's brand new with little maintenance.

Inexpensive faucets, by comparison, are usually made with plastics and lightweight materials with a painted-on chrome finish. The money you may save up front on a bargain faucet is usually spent a couple years later down the road when you have to replace it. From the sounds of it, it looks like you are learning this lesson the hard way.

I recommend that you look for a new quality faucet with a PVD finish. PVD stands for "Physical Vapor Deposition" and that is the multistep process used to create a high-end faucet finish. You probably need a science degree to explain and understand how this PVD technology works, so I won't attempt it. But all you need to know is once this type of finish is applied, it's practically indestructible.

Now, the second thing you need to do is to stop polishing your faucets so much! Regular light wiping with a soft cloth is all you should need. Constant polishing with abrasives may wear on a faucet's finish rather than to help preserve it. This can be a vicious cycle when a wear spot shows up and it's mistaken for a dull spot. Then, many homeowners will aggressively keep polishing that "dull spot" only to wear the finish completely off the faucet.

Bottom line, Charlie: In the future, buy a really good faucet and (for the most part) leave it alone.