Wondering how your bathroom mirror gets so dirty even though you rarely touch it? It could be because of various reasons like limescale stains from shower steam, make-up spots, or shaving cream splatter stains. Whatever the cause, you can be frustrated, looking at yourself through a stained mirror.
Luckily, some cleaning agents can help you eliminate the water stains before they render your mirror useless. Read on to learn the tricks on how to clean your bathroom mirror.
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How To Clean Water Stains From a Bathroom Mirror
Bathroom mirrors are the most affected areas when it comes to water spots. This is because water droplets can easily stray from the shower or sink. These tried and tested cleaning agents and tools can help you remove stains making your bathroom mirrors as good as new:
Materials Needed
- Pure white vinegar
- Cotton pad for the alcohol
- An empty spray bottle
- Water
- 2 Cleaning rags
- Rubbing alcohol
- Bucket
Step 1: Create the Cleaning Solution
Although you can also use other pre-made mirror cleaners, pure white vinegar is a safe and affordable cleaning agent to use. It effectively cuts through stains on your mirror. To make a white vinegar cleaning solution, you’ll need to dilute one cup of vinegar for every 4 cups of water in your bucket.
If you usually use hard water in your home, mixing the solution with distilled water instead of tap water can prevent mineral deposits from sticking to your mirror. You might also opt for a spray bottle, generally available at local stores, to mist the mirror with the white vinegar cleaning solution.
Step 2: Pre-treat Thick Stains with Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is one of the most effective cleaners in a home. Using a clean cotton rag, wet it with rubbing alcohol and then rub it against the trouble spots. Remove the thick stains one at a time. Because rubbing alcohol tends to evaporate quickly, you need to perform this task as fast as possible.
Step 3: Rinse the Mirror
Use a large washing cloth soaked in warm water to rinse the mirror. Doing this helps you get rid of any dirt that may be sticking on the mirror. When done, dry the mirror carefully with a large cloth. This is essential as it prevents further water stains from emerging on your bathroom mirror.
Leaving run marks from the water will only create more stains for you to clean. When you wipe down the mirror, you’ll have started an early cleaning process, which will allow you to remove minor parts of the original water stains.
Step 4: Clean the Mirror
At this point, you’ll have to use a dry, large cleaning rag. High toxic cleaning agents could worsen the situation by creating permanent stains. So, to be on the safe side, Smother the rag in a low poisonous cleaning agent. Baking soda is an excellent cleaning agent that you could use.
You could also use vinegar, which will absorb the stains and remove them completely. Rub the rag over the water stains while applying pressure on the mirror. Be careful not to use too much force, for you might end up breaking the mirror.
When you’re done dealing with the stains, proceed to the other areas in the mirror. This way, you’ll prevent other spots from developing in one section of the mirror.
Step 5: Apply the Cleaning Agent Again
Once your mirror has dried after the first cleaning attempt, repeat the process. At times, old stains can be quite challenging to remove. That’s why you may need to clean it at least twice just to be sure you’ve eradicated the water stains. Use smaller amounts of vinegar or baking soda to rub the marks for the second time.
You won’t have to use as much while repeating the process since smaller particles of the cleaning agent would have remained on the surface. Don’t forget to rub the entire mirror.
Step 6: Target Specific Areas
If you still notice water stains on your mirror after two cleaning attempts, then you’ll have to target the specific areas. You’ll need to use vinegar, a cleaning agent, and a piece of cotton wool to vigorously rub the stains.
Doing this 2 to 3 times is more than enough to make the stains disappear. Remember, only target specific areas if the marks are giving you a hard time to remove.
Step 7: Wipe down the Mirror
Wipe down the surface of your bathroom mirror to finish the task. You can spray a glass cleaner onto the mirror and wipe it thoroughly with a dusting cloth for a better result.
You’ll have nothing less than a sparkling reflection of yourself as the outcome. You can also spray some air freshener to get rid of the cleaning agent and vinegar smell that could linger in the air for up to 3 days.
