Mirrors can add a beautiful, decorative element to our homes, in addition to serving practical purposes in the bedroom, bathroom and beyond. But they often end up with visible smudges, water spots, dust, grime and more. Over time, these marks can build up and your once-spotless mirror can become dirty. Sometimes, cleaning a mirror is as simple as quickly wiping it down with glass cleaner and a cloth, but these methods can sometimes leave fibers, smudges and other marks that will remain on an otherwise spotless mirror. So, what’s the best way to clean mirrors? Here are a few methods for how to clean a mirror without streaks, as well as some tips on preventing them from getting dirty in the first place.
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How to Clean a Mirror
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a straightforward solution using a product that many of us have available in some form or another. Due to rubbing alcohol’s quickly drying nature, cleaning a mirror with rubbing alcohol can avoid any streaks or smears that might appear from using traditional glass-cleaning solutions. Using glass cleaner or water will spread greasy or oily residue across the mirror, while rubbing alcohol can remove it completely. Simply wet a cotton pad with it and dab or wipe away at any marks that exist on your mirrors. This is a great solution for small sections of grime that appear on your mirrors and can also work as a pre-treatment for more intensive cleaning.
Homemade Cleaning Solution
Common window or glass cleaners can include a lot of unnecessary ingredients, which is why a simple solution that you can make with ingredients in your home can oftentimes yield better results. Specifically, mixing vinegar and water together is an affordable and easily available answer to dirty mirrors that helps to eliminate smears, smudges and streaks. Just mix one cup of vinegar with one cup of distilled water, blend the two together and apply it directly to a cloth or place it in a spray bottle. Make sure to only use as much as you need, as the accumulation of this solution in your mirror can cause damage to the mirror’s foundation and construction.
Using a Microfiber Cloth
Microfiber is designed so that anything that comes in contact with it will cling to its tiny fibers, meaning that it will absorb any cleaning solution you use in addition to picking up any loose fibers, dirt, dust and grime. Microfiber can be an effective way to clean off streaks and smears on its own, but if you’re cleaning off any grime that’s accumulated on the mirror’s surface like toothpaste, soap or dirt, you’ll likely need to use an additional cleaning solution. When you’re done with your microfiber cloth, make sure to clean it without detergents, as these types of soaps can stay on the cloth and create smears when used in the future.
Lemon Juice and Dish Detergent
While this might seem counter-intuitive to avoiding smears and other streaks on your mirror, sometimes an aggressive cleaning solution is the way to eliminate all the dirt from your mirror. Combine one or two teaspoons of dish detergent, four tablespoons of lemon juice and half a cup of vinegar for a super-powered homemade cleaning fluid that can tackle even the toughest of grime that’s appeared on your mirror. If you’re left with marks after applying your solution, simply wipe away the remainder with a microfiber cloth for a streak-free shine that’s brighter than the day you bought your new mirror
Keeping a Mirror Grime-Free
Sometimes the best solution for cleaning your mirror is to not let it get dirty. Regular cleaning is important for anywhere in your home, and your mirrors are no exception. If you clean your mirrors regularly, you won’t need to use more aggressive methods to keep them clean in the future, which can prolong their lifespans and keep your home looking beautiful. Microfiber cloths are great for this due to their ease of use and ability to wipe away small bits of grime without the need for any other cleaning solutions, so make sure to keep a couple on standby for whenever you need to clean your bathroom, bedroom or living room mirrors can also keep your bathroom mirrors from steaming up as well using the homemade vinegar and water solution mentioned earlier. This solution will help to keep your mirrors from fogging up for at least a week when applied in a ratio of 1:1 and applied with a clean cloth. This method is particularly effective for cleaning bathroom mirrors, as it will help you to keep the mirror clean in addition to being useful for other reasons. There are other unique products you can use for longer lasting or more permanent solutions, but this simple answer is one that you can create at home for immediate results.
Mirrors are beautiful additions to any home. Whether you have one placed in your walkway, a large one as a decorative piece in your living room, a practical standing mirror for getting dressed or simply just want to take care of your bathroom mirror, keeping it gleaming brightly and smudge-free can make you feel good in addition to creating a vibrant element in your home. By simply taking some time every couple weeks to clean off your mirrors with homemade cleaning solution, alcohol wipes or microfiber fabric, you can enjoy all the perks of owning a beautiful mirror without any of the downsides. With these tips and tricks, you can have beautiful mirrors in every room – so it may be worth considering investing in some elegant vintage and antique mirrors as decorative pieces!
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Lead photo by Dane Austin Design / Eric Roth Photography