Regardless of sounding easy, it’s simpler to make mirror cleansing errors than you would possibly assume, resulting in less-than-impressive shine and dulled reflections.
It seems there are licensed methods for cleansing a mirror with out streaks – and a few widespread family cleansing practices may very well be tainting the general shine of your property’s mirrors, specialists say.
Right here, skilled cleaners have damaged down the 9 mirror cleansing errors you could be making, and clarify what you are able to do as an alternative.
Table of Contents
Mirror cleansing errors
From soiled cloths to poor buffing, who knew these methods would result in a duller than ever mirror?
1. Utilizing a unclean fabric
‘Utilizing a unclean fabric is a standard mirror cleansing mistake, and it’s one which ought to be averted for all family cleansing ideas, says Alicia Sokolowski, president and co-CEO on the eco-friendly cleansing firm, AspenClean (opens in new tab). ‘If you wish to use a fabric that appears “clear” to you, however you haven’t really washed it, then the probabilities are, it isn’t. There’s doubtless dust or mud left on it out of your final clear, and you’ll be transferring outdated mud to your mirror.’
‘The most effective kind of cleansing fabric to provide your mirrors a streak-free shine is a window and glass fabric,’ provides Laura Mountford, founding father of LauraCleanaholic (opens in new tab). ‘One among my favorites is the Spontex (obtainable on Amazon) (opens in new tab) as they don’t scratch mirrors, they’re absorbent so absorb any moisture and so they go away a beautiful sparkle with no smears.’
Alicia is the president and Co-CEO at AspenClean. With over 17 years of expertise, Alicia focuses on creating more healthy, inexperienced alternate options to chemical-based cleansing services and products and demonstrating how it may be simple to go inexperienced when cleansing.
2. Utilizing paper towels
When shortly cleansing a rest room, it may be tempting to seize a paper towel from the rest room self-importance to shortly wipe the mirror down – however it usually does extra hurt than good.
‘Many individuals use paper towels to wash mirrors, however the very best factor to make use of is a microfiber fabric,’ advises Sara San Angelo, skilled cleaner and founding father of Confessions of a Cleansing Woman (opens in new tab).
‘Even the very best high quality paper towels can go away lint in your mirror. Microfiber cloths are designed to soak up and lure something they arrive into contact with, with out leaving streaks or lint, offered your microfiber fabric is clear.’
Sara San Angelo, a.okay.a The Cleansing Woman, is an expert home cleaner with over 20 years of expertise cleansing homes. She additionally runs a profitable weblog, Confessions of a Cleansing Woman, which is stuffed with nice cleansing ideas, product critiques, and hilarious tales about her ‘practice wreck’ shoppers.
3. Utilizing the identical sponge as the remainder of the room
‘Utilizing a sponge you already use for cleansing a rest room sink or the bathroom, for instance, will solely unfold micro organism and dirt round your rest room,’ says Alicia Sokolowski of AspenClean. ‘Don’t make that mistake!’
4. Not eradicating mud earlier than utilizing cleansing merchandise
Additionally a standard window cleansing mistake, forgetting to take away mud with a fabric damp with water first will simply unfold the dust round your mirrors as you attempt to buff.
‘In case your mirror is especially soiled or in a heavy-traffic space then the chances are that you’ll want to provide it a deep clear earlier than sharpening it in order to take away the mud and dust build-up,’ explains Laura Mountford of LauraCleanaholic.
‘To do that merely use a microfiber fabric, a small quantity of washing-up liquid and heat water then wipe, then use a squeegee or window vac to take away the moisture earlier than sharpening it with both distilled white vinegar or a window and glass fabric.’
Social media content material creator and influencer Laura Mountford have a loyal following of 450k on Instagram and 200k+ on TikTok. She makes use of her platforms to get her followers enthusiastic about cleansing, and shares cleansing ideas to assist her rising viewers get pleasure from taking care of their properties.
5. Utilizing an excessive amount of cleaner at a time
‘Utilizing an excessive amount of product may be tough to take away, inflicting smears,’ explains Laura Mountford. ‘You solely must spritz a few instances and you should have loads of product for a glowing shine.’
6. Spraying the product immediately on the mirror
‘It’s best to by no means spray merchandise immediately on a mirror,’ Alicia Sokolowski warns. ‘Including cleansing merchandise to the material as an alternative is a greater answer, not solely to stop over saturating the mirror (resulting in streaks) however to assist save cleaner, and due to this fact cash, too.’
7. Not utilizing a sample when cleansing a mirror
‘Not having an organized sample whereas cleansing mirrors is a lesser recognized mistake,’ provides AspenClean’s Alicia Sokolowski. ‘It’s best to all the time clear from high to backside and in horizontal traces throughout the mirror, or the preferred motion can be the “Z” form, forwards and backwards, nonetheless working from high to backside.’
8. Not utilizing a natural-based glass cleaner so as to add shine
‘Plenty of family cleansing merchandise have chemical or poisonous merchandise of their substances that are actually unhealthy on your well being and the planet,’ Alica explains. ‘Switching to a pure/eco-friendly glass cleaner (like ours from AspenClean (opens in new tab)) that can put all of the substances on the label ought to be one among your targets in terms of cleansing.’
Mirrors are additionally one among many family issues you’ll be able to clear with vinegar. Merely combine equal elements distilled water and white vinegar in a spray bottle like this on Amazon (opens in new tab). You’ll be able to even add just a few drops of a nice-smelling important oil to assist neutralize the sturdy vinegar scent.
9. Not buffing after getting completed cleansing
As soon as the product has been eliminated, then you’ll be able to buff the mirror with a dry fabric to assist it shine, says Laura Mountford. ‘Make sure you wipe in a constant movement when buffing your mirrors to get the very best streak-free shine; I discover one of the best ways is to go high to backside and buff in small round motions.’
The identical approach may be utilized to glass across the residence too – from cleansing glass bathe doorways to cleansing home windows with out streaks.
Why is my mirror nonetheless soiled after cleansing it?
In case your mirror nonetheless seems cloudy after cleansing it could be going by way of a course of referred to as desilvering. Sometimes seen on cheaper mirrors, desilvering is when the standard of the mirror degrades after years of cleansing. You might also start to note some black spots within the sheen too.
Will rubbing alcohol harm a mirror?
Rubbing alcohol is an efficient cleaner for mirrors because it doesn’t work together with the coating or scratches on the floor. It’s an particularly good cleaner in case your mirror has turn into lined in make-up or hair care merchandise akin to sticky setting sprays and hairspray.
Use rubbing alcohol on a clear fabric to wipe a mirror from high to backside earlier than wiping with plain water and drying to stop streaks.