Usually there are several mirrors in an apartment: in the bathroom, bedroom, hallway. Each one needs to be looked after regularly, as fingerprints and other dirt not only spoil the overall appearance of the room, but also reduce light reflectivity.
However, it is quite difficult to wash them so that they shine. After cleaning, stains often appear on the mirror, which spoil the appearance almost more than the dirt itself. You can avoid such unpleasant consequences. There are many ways you can wash a mirror, but first you need to figure out why they form.
The reason for divorce
To understand how to properly clean a mirror and not leave streaks on it, you need to find out why they appear on the glass surface.
There are three main reasons:
- the use of low-quality detergents that leave soapy residues;
- insufficiently thorough removal of dust and grease;
- using dirty water with impurities.
Now, understanding the reasons for the occurrence of stains on a mirror surface, we will select the optimal cleaning methods.
Choosing the right napkins
Special wipes, which can be found on the shelves of any hardware department, will help you effortlessly clean the reflective surface and not leave streaks on it. They are used not only for cleaning mirrors, but also windows, gadget screens, including touch phones, computers, and TVs. The main advantage of the wipes is their 100% results - they quickly and effectively remove the most difficult stains.
Types of wall mirror mounts made from different materials
Waffle car towels are also used to clean mirrors. They have antistatic properties, that is, they repel dust. There are domestic and imported products. The miracle napkin is made of microfiber, so it quickly removes dirt. There is no need to rub the surface with it or use cleaning products; all dirt is removed in one motion. At the same time, it does not leave behind streaks, lint or scratches.
According to consumers, the following brands of napkins are recognized as the best:
- Smart;
- Himkor;
- "Freken Bock";
- Top House.
They are easy to use - you just need to moisten them in plain water and then rub them on the mirror. There is no need to perform any other manipulations in the form of polishing. Also, wipes designed for office equipment are often used for cleaning mirrors. They are soft and perfectly remove stains and stains.
If there are no napkins, newspaper will come in handy; it is crumpled for convenience and softness, and then rubbed onto the mirror. The process is not easy, but effective, after which the surface shines and shines like new. As you can see, there are plenty of means with which you can easily clean mirrors without streaks. All that remains is to choose the appropriate composition and you can begin the procedure.
Smart
Himkor
"Freken Bock"
Top House
Selection of cleaning products
The choice of a product for cleaning a mirror surface depends not only on its effectiveness, but also on the personal preferences of the owner. Which chemical should be used depends on many factors, for example, the presence of small children in the house, whether any family members have allergic reactions, and others. An excellent alternative to store-bought drugs are traditional methods. Below we will tell you in more detail about each of the options.
Chemicals
The leading positions among housewives are occupied by industrial products specially created to remove dirt from glass surfaces, for example, “Mr. Muscle” and LOC. Also, a liquid intended for cleaning monitor and TV screens is often used to wash glass.
The most advanced ones use preparations designed for washing car headlights and mirrors. However, you need to be careful with such products, as they have a strong odor and are often not intended for use in apartments.
Removing dirt using detergent and a special cloth
Traditional methods
Despite the large number of special products presented on store shelves, many still clean mirrors with cold water and paper, considering this option to be the simplest, correct and safest.
The following recipes are also very popular among people (especially among the older generation):
- by moistening a nylon cloth in a solution of salt water and green tea, you can achieve not only cleanliness, but also an attractive shine to the surface;
- Using half an onion to rub on a mirror will help get rid of dirt left by flies. After 5-7 minutes, wipe the surface dry with paper towels;
- You can clean the mirror with a wet cloth rubbed with chalk, then wait until it dries and wipe with a dry towel;
- a mixture of ammonia and tooth powder (1:1) perfectly washes heavily soiled areas of the product;
- a solution of vinegar and water (one to one) will not only wipe the mirror, but also add shine to it;
- cologne, vodka and other alcohol-containing mixtures can remove greasy stains and marks left by hairspray;
- Wiping the glass surface with shaving foam or fabric softener will permanently remove dirt and reduce the likelihood of fogging (this is especially true for the kitchen and bathroom).
The video below shows what results can be obtained by using tea leaves to clean a mirror:
Regardless of which method was chosen, an important factor influencing the effectiveness of sedum is the choice of tool.
Use of industrial products
Modern housewives do not particularly trust folk remedies and prefer to purchase professional chemicals. Before choosing a particular product with which to clean mirrors, you should study the composition. Industrial products may contain:
- Alcohol. Detergent compositions are most often produced using this particular component. The advantages include efficiency (they cope well with all types of stains), and the disadvantages are a strong and long-lasting smell.
- Surfactants (surfactants). They even cope with old stains.
The most popular and highly rated cleaners: “Mr. Muscle”, Sanita. Some products, for example, Spectrum Profi, have an antistatic effect - after their use, less dust accumulates on the surface. You can purchase a cleaner with a moisture-repellent effect, which is very important for rooms with high humidity, or with an antibacterial effect, for example, SYNERGETIC. The presence of silicone in the product provides additional protection against dirt and fingerprints left, for example, when opening a mirrored wardrobe.
Design and types of mirrors, how to make a product with your own hands
You should not use car glass cleaners to clean home mirrors, as they are highly toxic. Alternatively, a regular fabric softener or antistatic agent will do.
Industrial chemicals must be handled with special care, wear protective equipment when working, and keep them away from small children.
"Mister Muscle"
Sanita
"Spectrum Pro"
SYNERGETIC
Mirror Cleaning Tools
To clean glass surfaces, housewives use a wide variety of tools, from “grandmother’s” to innovative inventions.
Using a special rubberized brush for cleaning
The table contains the most popular and in-demand devices that allow you to effectively clean the reflective surface of dirt:
| Tool type | Features of use |
| Rag | As a device for cleaning mirror surfaces, you can use a regular rag, the main thing is that it is free of lint and protruding threads |
| Microfiber cloth | An alternative to a regular rag is a microfiber cloth. The use of such material in combination with optimal detergents eliminates the appearance of streaks. However, before using such a delicate tool, you should remove heavy dirt with a regular cloth. |
| Brush with rubber base | If you don’t want to lag behind modern trends, you should take a closer look at brushes whose operating principle is similar to car wipers. Thanks to the presence of rubber bands, this tool perfectly collects water from glass surfaces without leaving streaks. |
| Vacuum cleaners for glass | Such devices are most often used by cleaning companies and wealthy housewives who do not want to spend a lot of time cleaning mirrors. However, some of those who have tested the operation of the devices from their own experience claim that vacuum cleaners often leave streaks on the mirrors |
| Paper, nylon, gauze | If you don’t have a suitable rag or microfiber cloth at hand, experts recommend using nylon or gauze folded in several layers. Paper towels and toilet paper are also often used by housewives to clean mirror surfaces. As for such a popular medium as newspapers, it is better not to use them, since printing ink contains lead that is hazardous to health. |
A microfiber cloth will help ideally clean the glass surface without using chemicals. Watch a video about the results you can achieve:
Cleaning mirrors without streaks using household chemicals
The wide variety of glass and mirror cleaning products available in stores allows everyone to choose the most suitable one for themselves. This could be a means:
- ordinary for household use - “Mr. Muscle”, “LOC Amway” or others;
- for professional use, with an antistatic effect;
- cleaning monitors - if nothing else is at hand;
- used for cleaning mirrors and car windows.
In the departments of household chemicals, you can choose products specifically for cleaning mirrors.
Most housewives prefer, of course, to choose ordinary products intended for home use, especially since the choice in this group is quite large. But professional products are also quite in demand. In addition, you can wipe mirrors with specially impregnated wipes, which are designed for cleaning monitors and glass products. This product is suitable for quickly cleaning fresh stains or hand marks from the surface.
Attention! Products used to care for your car can be toxic. It is not very advisable to use them at home, only when absolutely necessary.
In order for the mirror surface to simply shine clean, when washing it, you need to follow a certain sequence of actions:
- Add dishwashing detergent or shampoo to the water, and with the resulting solution, thoroughly wash off all stains, fly marks and other dirt from the mirror with a sponge or cloth.
Before polishing the mirror, wash it with soapy water. - Rinse the surface several times with clean water, rinsing the sponge often.
- Wipe the mirror dry with a napkin or clean rag.
- Apply mirror cleaner to the surface and rub until shiny with a microfiber cloth.
Step-by-step instruction
After getting acquainted with the means and tools that can be used to clean mirror surfaces, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the optimal sequence of actions to get the best effect:
- We remove dirt . First of all, it is necessary to wash the surface from dust and grease. To do this, wipe it with a cloth soaked in any detergent, such as glass cleaner, dishwashing liquid or hair shampoo. Use only soft rags and sponges, do not use hard or abrasive materials. Rinse thoroughly afterwards, removing traces of foam. For heavily soiled surfaces, it is acceptable to use well-moistened powdered cleaning agents.
- Wash with water . After the main contamination has been removed, thoroughly wipe the product with water. It is best to use boiled or well-filtered liquid.
- Polishing . When the surface is perfectly clean, you need to start removing stains. You can polish the product using pre-crumpled paper or a microfiber cloth. Before you start polishing, it is recommended to moisten the surface with a special product. If this is not at hand, you can prepare an analogue yourself by taking 1 tablespoon each of ammonia and vodka and mixing them with 200 ml of boiled water. Place the resulting solution in a spray bottle and spray onto a mirror surface. Then rub until shiny.
You can remove heavy dirt using the back of the sponge.
Watch a video on how to clean a mirror surface with vinegar without leaving streaks:
Simple cleaning methods
If there are no special compounds on the farm, then you should use what is at hand. The resulting effect will be no worse. Step-by-step instructions on how to clean a mirror are presented in the table.
| Means | Manufacturing, description of application |
| Water, paper | Wipe off the dust with a damp cloth, then wash the mirror surface with a well-moistened sponge, remove stains and other dirty areas. At the very end, polish the canvas with crumpled paper. In this case, it is better to refuse the newspaper, it can leave marks. |
| Acetic acid | To prepare the cleaning composition, you need to mix clean water and vinegar; they are taken in equal quantities. Then pour the solution into a spray bottle, spray it on the mirror and wash everything with a soft cloth. Remaining drops can be removed with paper. |
| Ammonia | Using ammonia, you can clean mirrors without streaks and achieve perfect cleanliness and shine. The solution perfectly removes stains from grease and cosmetics. It is enough to moisten a rag with a pharmaceutical preparation and rub the mirror. But ammonia has a significant drawback - a pungent odor; the room will have to be ventilated after cleaning. |
| Water, acetic acid and tooth powder | The effective cleaning product includes water (3/4 cup), tooth powder (1 tbsp) and vinegar essence (10 ml). The ingredients are combined, resulting in a mixture resembling porridge. She needs to wash the mirror. |
| Water, vodka | Mix the same amount of ingredients and wipe the resulting mixture onto the mirror. |
| Alcohol cologne | You can take a cheap product (preferably in a spray bottle) and treat the dirty canvas with it. |
The nuances of placing mirrors in the interior, stylish framing options
Mirror cleaner can be prepared by mixing water and vinegar in equal proportions.
A paste of water, tooth powder and vinegar essence can easily cope with stains.
You can also effectively clean a mirror surface using cheap alcohol cologne.
To clean a mirror without streaks, it is extremely important to approach the cleaning procedure correctly. First you need to remove heavy dirt, wipe off the dust, this can be done with a damp cloth. At the next stage, it is necessary to use detergent compounds, and at the last stage, perform thorough polishing.
To avoid streaks, use special devices:
- microfiber cloths;
- brushes with rubber gasket;
- nylon fabric.
All the described folk methods do an excellent job of the task. In addition, they do not require large expenses, and the components, as a rule, are always available.
It’s easy to remove lime from vertical mirrors in the bathroom: you need to soak paper napkins in acetic acid, cover the surface with them, and leave them for a while. Afterwards, simply remove them and wipe the canvas dry.
Microfiber cloth
Brush with rubber seal
Note to housewives
To ensure that the mirror retains its attractiveness for many years, you should pay attention to the following recommendations:
- High humidity negatively affects amalgam. Therefore, before fixing the mirror in the bathroom, it is recommended to paint its back side with oil paint. A protective layer can be created using melted wax and turpentine, taken in a 1:2 ratio. This should be done immediately after preparing the solution, because the wax hardens quickly.
- Bright sunlight can also damage the surface. The mirror becomes cloudy and loses its shine. Therefore, when choosing a place to hang the product, avoid walls located opposite the windows.
As you can see, caring for a mirror surface is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. The main thing is to choose the right tools and devices that will greatly facilitate the cleaning work.
What you need to wash mirrors
To get a sparkling clean mirror surface, you should not use your usual laundry detergent or dishwashing detergent. They are ineffective. Special purpose solutions are required. They are designed to care for such surfaces. Recommendations from experienced housewives are also valuable. They know how to quickly and effortlessly remove stains and prevent the appearance of smudges.
It is impossible to achieve impressive results without tools. Everything you need should always be at hand. You will need to prepare:
- capacity;
- a rag or newspaper;
- scraper or blade;
- a special brush for cleaning glass;
- detergent.
It is wise to start with a container into which water is poured to clean the surface. The easiest way is to take a basin or deep plastic bowl. It does not break, does not break, is comfortable and light.
There are special requirements for a rag. Only soft, well-absorbing moisture is suitable. The ideal option is a microfiber cloth. It won't even leave lint on the glass. But such a cloth will not cope with heavy dirt. In this case, a newspaper is much more effective. It absorbs perfectly and is not afraid of strong dirt.
A scraper or household blade will also come in handy. With its help, it is easy to get rid of droplets of old fat. And instead of microfiber, they use gauze and old tights that have already outlived their usefulness.
It is impossible to do without quality mirror cleaning products. Glass cleaning solutions are perfect. Particularly noteworthy are the variants of drugs labeled “for glass and mirrors”, sold through hardware stores or special departments of supermarkets.
Cleaning product labeled “for glass and mirrors”
Among them are solutions for cleaning car mirrors and glass. They allow you to achieve amazing results with minimal effort. However, the drugs are toxic, it is necessary to ventilate after their use. Without such a precaution, it is wiser not to use the product.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Industrial Cleaning Products
| Name | Advantages | Flaws |
| Mister Muscle | Easy to use, convenient, affordable. | No |
| Spectrum-Profi | Professional product, excellent results. | High price |
| Aquapel | Professional drug. Protects the mirror from dust and dirt for a long time, maintaining shine and cleanliness. | Most often, green or blue bottles are chosen. Each contains isopropyl alcohol. Ammonia is listed in the composition of the drug, packaged in green packages. |
| Help | The product is budget-friendly and effective. Works great on small stains. | Strong smell. |
| "LOC" produced by Amway | Does not require rinsing, cleans perfectly. | Pungent smell of ammonia. |
| Clin | Work in 2 modes: “spray” and “foam” for normal and heavy dirt. | No. |
| Frosch Glass Cleaner | Suitable for those prone to allergies, without a strong strong aroma. Cleans surfaces perfectly and leaves no streaks. Economical, consumption is minimal. A product in a green bottle is suitable for cleaning mirrors. | Dries quickly after application; high speed is required when working. High price. |
| Cif | There is no strong aroma, it copes well with any dirt. | Contains benzyl alcohol. |
| Ecover | Natural composition, pleasant, unobtrusive aroma, audible only after spraying | Cleaning quality is average. High price. |
| Synegetic | Economical, available in spray and liquid form. Light floral aroma. | It is recommended to use gloves. |
| Wet wipes "Freken Bok" | No additional rinsing is required. Gives shine. Soft surface, do not scratch the mirror, pleasant aroma. | They dry out over time and are disposable. |
The number of reagents for mirrors is colossal: the industry offers many options of varying quality. It is important to choose a product for home use without haste, so that after cleaning you don’t have to rack your brains about how to remove stains left by the detergent itself.
No matter how tempting the composition of the product may be, it remains chemical. All reagents should be used only with rubber gloves. The drugs are stored out of the reach of children.
Traditional methods of cleaning
Microscopic toxic particles can remain on the reflective surface even after washing off. They penetrate the skin, causing irritation and provoking allergic reactions.
To minimize unpleasant effects, folk remedies are used. Their ingredients are simple and can be found in every home. The resulting solutions guarantee the absence of streaks.
Apply:
- black or green tea, blue;
- salt;
- vinegar;
- milk;
- potato;
- ammonia;
- alcohol, vodka;
- chalk;
- onion;
- newspapers and water;
- toothpaste or powder;
- nylon;
- cologne.
The simplest option is water and newspaper. Contamination is wiped with settled water. Then use a crumpled newspaper to add shine, wiping the mirror dry.
To avoid printing ink marks on your hands, you can replace the newspaper with toilet paper or paper towels. The results from such castling will not be worse.
Cleaning mirrors with newspapers
To prepare a tea-based composition, you will need to strongly brew green tea in a glass and add a large spoonful of regular salt to the drink. The resulting solution is applied to the mirror with a nylon cloth. Then wipe the surface dry with a soft cloth.
Black tea also works great. With its help, all the mirrors in the house will shine clean. Experienced housewives will tell you how to prepare this miracle drug.
How to clean a mirror until it shines with black tea
Instead of tea, you can use blue tea. It will give the mirror a sparkling shine. A solution of green tea diluted with blue will restore a mirror that has become clouded over time, returning it not only to purity, but also giving it an unusual bluish shine.
A dirty reflective surface can be cleaned with a starch solution. 2 large spoons of powder are diluted in a liter of water. Apply the finished preparation to the mirror with a soft foam sponge. The surface is washed with water several times and wiped dry with a soft cloth.
A medium-sized potato tuber is peeled and cut into two parts. Rub the surface with one of the halves. Then the mirror is washed with cool water and wiped dry with a cloth or paper.
Milk will allow you to get rid of dirt on the glass without much effort. Soak a soft, lint-free cloth with the product and rub the surface with it. Wipe the mirror dry with a dry soft cloth.
By mixing vinegar and water equally, you get an excellent anti-dirt remedy. The amount of solution is dosed according to the size of the mirror. First, treat with a cloth soaked in the resulting preparation. Next, wipe the surface dry with a dry cloth. True, there is a possibility that you will have to rub for quite a long time.
How to perfectly clean a mirror using vinegar
A radical remedy is a mixture of ammonia and tooth powder or paste. Mix a large spoonful of each component and apply the resulting paste to the surface. The mixture is rubbed with a cloth and polished with a clean soft cloth or paper.
Replacing the powder or paste with soda is undesirable: the abrasive over time turns the reflective glossy surface into a matte one.
You can add a large spoonful of ammonia to a glass of water and treat the surface with the resulting solution. After rubbing dry with a soft cloth, the results will please the housewives.
By applying alcohol-containing cologne or regular vodka to the glass, cleaning is greatly simplified. The product will do a great job on greasy or sticky stains. After spraying, wipe the mirror dry with a napkin.
Rub the surface with a juicy half of an onion. Leave the product on for a few minutes. Next, the mirror is washed with hot water and rubbed until shiny with a soft cloth. This method will allow you to remove all traces of insect activity without much effort.
Chalk applied to a damp cloth also works great. Wipe the surface with it and leave until completely dry. Then rub the mirror with a dry cloth or paper until it shines.
A great way to wash a mirror without streaks is nylon. Old tights will do. They are moistened with cool water and the surface is wiped. But you will have to try, rubbing the mirror dry with them until it shines.
