If you’ve been spring cleaning around the house, there might be one thing that you’ve forgotten to clean. We’re talking about your mirrors, of course! Irrespective of whether you have a framed mirror in the bathroom, a full-length one in your dressing room, or a small mirror on your dressing table, you need to know all about the best tips to clean mirrors, for that streak-free finish that reflects your beauty perfectly. Lucky for you, we’re here to help you do just that!
Best Tips to Clean Mirrors
Want streak-free mirrors? Well, use these cleaning tips for mirrors for that sparkling finish:
- Avoid These Cleaning Items
- Choose the Right Cleaning Supplies
- Focus on Cleaning First
- End with a Wipe Down
- Try Some Extra Hacks
Let’s discuss these tips to clean mirrors in detail below.
Avoid These Cleaning Items
If you want streak-free mirrors, you will need to move past age-old practices and implement contemporary mirror cleaning tips. Here are some products and items you should avoid:
- Newspapers: While cleaning mirrors with newspapers was always recommended at one point in time, the changes in printer ink over time no longer make newspapers the best material to wipe down mirrors. In many cases, the ink will smear across the mirror when wet, making the whole exercise pointless.
- Paper Towels: Paper towels will break off into pieces and leave bits of fluff all over your mirror the moment they become wet.
- Soapy Solution: Avoid the soap and water mixture to clean your mirrors as well because the solution will leave a residue on your glass if it dries off before being wiped.
- Rough Fabric: You should also avoid using a towel or a frayed piece of cloth for cleaning the mirror, as this will result in lint getting stuck to the mirror.
- Coarse Surface: Since mirrors are susceptible to scratching, you should also avoid using a grainy, rough, and uneven surface to remove the dirt, such as a wire sponge or a hard-bristled brush.
Choose the Right Cleaning Supplies
While it is essential to avoid the cleaning items mentioned above, it is also necessary to gather the right ones. These include:
- A soft and smooth microfiber cloth that can clean the mirror without leaving streaks behind.
- Alcohol swabs or wet wipes to help you clean stains and dirt easily.
- A glass cleaner to help you bring back the shine of your mirror.
Focus on Cleaning First
One of the best ways to clean mirrors is to focus on clearing dirt and stains from the mirror before polishing it. This is where the alcohol swabs or wet wipes will come in handy. Here’s are some steps to follow for cleaning the mirrors:
- Check the mirror for stains, fingerprints, and dirt.
- Dab at the stains or accumulated dirt with the wipes and focus on rubbing the surface gently in circular motions to remove the stains.
- If you have dried toothpaste or hairspray stuck on the surface, do not try to scrape it off.
- Continue to scrub each stain gently with the wipes until the dried residue softens and comes away from the surface on its own.
- Don’t forget to clean the mirror frame if it’s accumulated dirt over time. Use a soft toothbrush to scrub the frame, combined with a cleaning agent that is ideal for the material of the frame.
End with a Wipe Down
So, you’ve cleaned the mirror. What’s next? Polishing it for a streak-free finish! Here’s how:
- Use a dry microfiber cloth to wipe down the entire surface of the mirror after cleaning all the stains.
- Once that’s done, spray the mirror cleaning solution onto the surface.
- The spray should leave a fine mist on the surface without making the solution run down to the bottom edge of the mirror.
- Then use a fresh cloth to wipe down the mirror slowly with gentle pressure, moving from the top of the mirror to the bottom.
- You can also choose either the top-right or top-left side to begin with, and completely wipe from one side to the other using steady motions before moving downwards.
- One of the top tips for cleaning mirrors is to fold the cleaning cloth into quarters so that you can unfold and use a clean section of the cloth as soon as the current one becomes too grimy.
- Recheck the mirrored surface from different angles for remaining stains once you’ve wiped it entirely using the cleaning solution.
- Spot clean any remaining marks with quick circular motions after spraying the chemical on the cloth instead.
Try Some Extra Hacks
Now, let’s move to the best hacks to clean mirrors:
- One of the top hacks to clean your mirrors that also allows you to use an eco-friendly cleaning solution is to make your own cleaning agent at home by combining equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle.
- Combine half a cup of white vinegar with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons of dish detergent in a bucket of warm water. This is the recipe for a stronger eco-friendly solution to get rid of stains. Add the detergent with care, as too much of it will make the solution soapy, resulting in streaks on the mirror.
- Create a solution of baking powder and vinegar to clean the mirror frame if you do not have an appropriate cleaning chemical. You can check out some other amazing uses of baking soda and white vinegar, too, for other cleaning tasks around the house.
- Remember that wet wipes will dry out quickly once you begin cleaning the mirror, so avoid cleaning in a well-ventilated space. Turn off the fan if you are cleaning a mirror in your bedroom or living area.
- Want a streak-free finish with mirror cleaning hacks? Use a clean blackboard eraser and run it across the surface of the mirror after cleaning and polishing it.
Now you know all about the best ways to clean mirrors without leaving streaks behind. Use these tips to keep your mirrors shining for longer. Found an antique mirror in your storage that it doesn’t fit the style of your interior? Mirrors can be used in some amazing ways to boost your home decor, so don’t throw out that ornate mirror just yet. You can also check off some more of your cleaning tasks using our deep cleaning checklist for your home.
Stay tuned to Zameen Blog for more cleaning tips and tricks. You can also email us your comments and suggestions at blog@zameen.com.
