Go grab the rubbing alcohol, but always finish the job with a glass cleaner. “Rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle will remove any build up on your mirror that's causing the streaks,” she says. “Once the alcohol is dry, use a foam glass cleaner to finish cleaning the mirrors.”
Why do my mirrors streak when I clean them? Experts suggest that streaks are primarily caused by the wrong tools. If you're using products with soaps and additives (that are less able to evaporate) or you're wiping with a crude edge (such as those on paper towels) then you're less likely to achieve a spotless finish.
This is another easy way to remove cloudiness from your mirrors. Simply pour some rubbing alcohol in a bowl and dip a cotton pad or cotton ball in it. Then use it to wipe the dirty and cloudy areas, but make sure to rub fast since alcohol dries quickly.
If you continue to struggle with a streaky mirror, you can pretreat problem spots before cleaning the whole surface. Some leading causes of bathroom mirror streaks are the toothpaste, hair products, and fingerprints that glass situated in front of a sink inevitably attracts.
Your glass cleaner could be behind those pesky mirror streaks! Many commercial glass cleaners have cleaning agents like ammonia and detergent, which can end up streaking your mirror.
Have you ever spent hours washing your windows, only to notice streaks everywhere? This has to do with the evaporation rate—if your cleaning solution evaporates before you have time to wipe it off, it will leave a mark.
Glass Cleaner Alternatives That Really Shine. First, as most of us know, Windex does an excellent job of cleaning windows and mirrors. That's because the main ingredient in the product is ammonia. Ammonia is a strong chemical with just enough abrasive properties to remove dirt and grime without scratching the glass.
Mix two tablespoons of white vinegar to one cup of water and, either using a spray bottle or a paper towel, apply the solution to the glass. The acid within the vinegar will break down any cloudiness. It will also give a more sparkling finish to the glass.
Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes are easy to use and work on a variety of hard, nonporous surfaces, including mirrors and glass. The powerful cleaning technology dissolves kitchen grease and fights soap scum.
Mirrors use glass, but they have a silver backing which is sensitive to acid corrosion. If the vinegar seeps through the glass coating, it'll ruin your mirror's shine. To clean mirrors, you could instead use plain old Windex or another store-bought glass cleaner.
Mirrors are a regular part of a cleaning schedule in the home. According to the experts, decorative mirrors should be throughly cleaned at least monthly to remove pollutants that settle on the surface. Meanwhile, bathroom mirrors will need daily attention to keep them clear from splatters, water and toothpaste.
A simple reason may be because of an accumulation of dirt and lack of maintenance. Another reason could be desilvering - mirrors are made of glass with a silver backing, and over time the mirror may begin to develop black spots. This is called desilvering and it usually happens due to moisture.
DON'T: Use a Paper Towel
What they don't realize is that paper towels leave behind small pieces of residue, making the mirror look dusty. Instead, always use a clean, dry flat weave microfiber cloth. The microfiber acts as a magnet for dirt.
For the best homemade mirror cleaner, fill a glass spray bottle with half-white distilled vinegar and half water. Use this spray to break down grease and grime on mirrors, windows, and other glass surfaces. A hard-working alternative is a mix of vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and dish soap.
Mix one-part vinegar with four parts water and pour it into the spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the cotton cloth or directly onto the mirror. Before the spray dries, wipe the mirror from side to side or up and down with the cotton cloth. Never wipe the mirror in circles.
The real trick is to use a clean and dry cloth to polish your mirror glass. And the best one out there is the Microfiber Glass Cleaning Cloth. This lint-free cloth is made from a flat-knit polyester and microfiber blend to give you an ultimate shine on any mirror, glass, and stainless steel surface.
Combine one cup water, one cup vinegar and a teaspoon of dish soap in a spray bottle. Shake gently to mix. Apply the solution directly to the mirror and let it sit for a few seconds. Wipe the spray on the mirror away with either a microfiber cloth or newspaper.
Mirror rot, or mirror desilvering as it's officially called, is when the shiny surface of your mirror begins to fade to an ugly, tarnished black. Oftentimes, this desilvering begins as tiny, almost unnoticeable black dots along the corners or edges of your mirror.
Provided they are clean, microfiber cloths are the best way to avoid thin films left over after you wipe down the surface of your glass or mirror. Some people recommend using rags, or an old tee-shirt, but those materials were not designed for cleaning.
It's often recommended to spray the window cleaner directly on your microfiber cloth, newspaper, or t-shirt instead of the glass. The reason is that this will help you avoid drips that can leave streaks if you don't wipe them up quickly. You also need to be more careful with windows and mirrors with wood frames.
Choose lint-free
Microfiber or other lint-free towels won't leave behind little specks on glass surfaces. Newspaper or old, clean cotton diapers are other great options.