Cleaning Mirrors

Helpful Tips For Cleaning Mirrors

Cleaning mirrors can be a haunting job without the proper tools and technique. Sure, you may think you can just wipe over them with a cloth or water but anyone who has done this and failed at it will assure you that it is not quite that simple. Often after you think that your mirror is clean, you stand back and look at it to see that your reflection is altered by specks of dirt, streaks or a light fog. Of course, the fog is left over from whatever random cleaning chemicals you decided to use.

How To Properly Clean Your Mirror

When cleaning mirrors around your home, forget about using those harsh cleaning products that you have piled up under your sink. Most of them will end up leaving a clouded result behind. Follow these five steps for a streak-free, squeaky clean mirror that will make you proud to look into.

Combine together one quart of warm water with one cup of either distilled or white vinegar.

Do not reach for cleaning cloths to use. Choose newspapers that are laying around your home that you are going to throw away anyway. Crumple these up into hand-held sizes that are easy to work with.

To do the initial cleaning of removing marks or heavy dirt, all you need to use is plain water. If you find it easier to scrub with a cloth, you can use a cleaning cloth on this step as long as it hasn't been cleaned in the dryer with fabric softener.

Dip your newspaper that you already have crumpled into the vinegar and water solution and rub the mirror in a very slow circled pattern covering the entire mirror. Of course you will need to dip your newspaper in the solution from time to time. If you do not have newspapers available to use when cleaning mirrors in your home, you can use coffee filters instead. Stay away from paper towels since they usually contain some type of softening agent.

Lastly, go back over any wet areas with a dry piece of newspaper or coffee filter. This will alleviate the chance for any drip marks.

Additional Mirror Tips

Since no one enjoys looking at themselves with extra spots or smudges in their reflection, you should make cleaning mirrors part of your regular cleaning routine rather than waiting until there is only one clean spot left to look in.

Never assume that you need to use a razor blade on tough marks when cleaning mirrors. Chances are they can be persuaded off with a bit of elbow grease and water. Many women get their face right up to the mirror when putting on their make-up and end up with left over spots of eyeliner and mascara that they automatically think that they have to chisel away with a razor blade. Try the plain water first; you may be surprised at how well it actually works.

Be sure that the entire surface area of the mirror is always completely dry when you are cleaning mirrors. Any left over moisture along the edge of the mirror can seep in which will cause damage to the reflective backing.

Black spots in your mirror that you cannot remove are a sign of damaged silvering that is behind the glass of your mirror. If this happens, all you can really do is try an etching kit to repair the damage.

Be cautious of where you hang your mirror since constant sun exposure can damage them.

It is always recommended that you use proper mounting devices when hanging your mirrors to avoid a harmful catastrophe of it falling and harming someone.

When mixing your vinegar and water solution, you may want to use bottled water when you are cleaning mirrors if your tap water happens to be rich in minerals. This will help guarantee a streak-free shine.