Essential Supplies Needed
Mirrors aren’t just for looking to check that you don’t have spinach on your teeth and that your hair is nicely combed. They are the best thing you can use if you have a small, poky place with not much natural lightning. The primary purpose of a mirror is to reflect light in all its different frequencies, conveying information about depth, colour and shape. Sometimes, this depth, colour and shape will be your face, but don’t forget that a mirror placed and tilted at the right angle can reflect sunlight into a dark room or catch a nice view and act in place of a painting.
However, a mirror can only do its job of reflecting if it is clean. Too many bathroom mirrors are smeared with toothpaste splatters, hairspray and even worse mess. And mirrors in other places get covered in dust, even though it doesn’t seem logically possible that a smooth vertical surface could hold dust. And then there are fly spots to deal with.
However, keeping your mirrors clean is no big task. You will need to have a soft dusting cloth, glass cleaner (ready-made or homemade), paper towels, and old newspaper on hand.
Preparation Steps
If the mirrors are hanging, take them down so that they are easier to handle. It is also good to place the mirrors on old newspaper to catch dirt and avoid messing up the floor or other work area.
Step-by-Step Cleaning Process
Now that you have the tools you need, it’s time to start cleaning:
• Dust the mirror and frame to remove dust build-up and fine particles, which may damage the glass when cleaning.
• Dampen the cleaning rag or hand towel with cleaning solution and rub vigorously. (Do not apply cleaning liquid directly to the mirror)
• Quickly remove any cleaning fluid that may have gotten onto the frame. Depending on the material used, cleaning fluid can damage frames, so try not to get any fluid on the frame if possible.
• Rub with dry newspaper for a streak-free mirror that sparkles.
Dealing with Stubborn Stains
If the mirror has stuck on grease or other such material, apply some rubbing alcohol and use a blade to remove the gunk gently. Take care not to scrape the glass itself.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Solutions
When choosing cleaning fluids for glass, remember the three “A’s”: acids, alkalis, and abrasives. Substances containing acids and alkalis can wreak havoc on glass, as can anything too abrasive, which will scratch the mirror’s surface.
Natural glass cleaning solutions can be made from good old vinegar, rubbing alcohol, ammonia and water. Many commercial cleaners are made of these substances.
Common Problems and Solutions
Have you ever noticed that the edges of most mirrors have a murky, discoloured appearance? This is caused by spillover cleaning fluid. This is one good reason not to apply cleaning solutions directly to mirrors.
Bathroom mirrors fog up easily. A range of remedies are suggested for preventing this happening, with ordinary shaving foam being the most popular method. Simply spray the foam on and polish the mirror with it. However, it does have the disadvantage of running after a few weeks or so, and it can be hard to clean off. Dishwashing liquid removes the shaving foam, but this does leave streaks. Possibly, the stuff that streaks the mirror also prevents it from fogging, so you may have to choose between the two. Alternatively, install a dehumidifier or an extractor fan which takes the moisture out of the air so it doesn’t settle (cheapskates can open the bathroom window as an alternative). This method also works on car rear vision mirrors.
Finally, work as quickly as possible so that cleaning fluids do not dry on the glass before you are finished. If the surface area is large, work in sections, completing each part before moving on to the next.
Before cleaning decorative glass such as stained glass or tinted glass (automotive), ensure that the cleaning solution you plan on using will not affect the quality or look of the glass. The cleaning method above is primarily for plain mirrors and windows.
Dealing with Broken Mirrors
While this superstition may or may not go back to the idea that the reflection somehow was your soul, so if you broke the mirror, you damaged your soul, other people have commented that a broken mirror is a nuisance to clean up. The glass splinters have a chameleon-like ability to hide in their surroundings.
To clean up bits of a broken mirror, wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and start by picking up the largest pieces first. Unfortunately, not many (or not any) places take broken mirror glass for recycling. Wrap the large pieces up in old newspaper or thick cardboard to keep the folk handling the rubbish safely. Then, get a hand broom and sweep around the area where the smash happened, working inwards.
Splinters always fly wider than you think, so begin your sweeping at a greater radius than the “ground zero” site. Put the splinters into another wrapper for disposing, or wrap them with the larger pieces.
Finish by vacuuming the whole room just to make sure. You may need to repeat this process on shelves and the like. If a mirror falls into the bath and smashes, you can flush the little pieces down the plughole instead of vacuuming and sweeping. But make sure you do it thoroughly. The glass splinters that go down the plughole will soon be battered to bits and returned to the sand from which the glass came, so don’t worry about the fish getting hurt.
