Hi, M. Have you tried CLR. It is made for removing mineral build-up and should be available at most hardware stores and home centers. If you can't find it, vinegar may also work but not as well. For what it's worth, I also have problems pulling faucet handles and we don't have mineral problems. I think that it may just be that the zinc alloy likes to grab the brass faucet stem. When you finally get the handle off, put some grease on the stem before you replace the handle.