The sleet and snow appears to have eased (for now!) which can surely mean that spring is around the corner. Don’t wait until then to give your home a proper spring clean and get started ready for the new season. Not only is it a good opportunity to clear out the clutter and items that you no longer need but it is also a great chance to pay some much needed attention to those often neglected pieces of furniture – including your wall and decorative mirrors. We’ve got some top tips on how to give your mirrors a thorough clean and get them looking their sparkly best once again.
If you’re anything like us, you’ll probably dread having to clean up your home’s mirrors – each room presents a different cleaning task which all of us wish to avoid, from grime and toothpaste marks on the bathroom mirror to perfume sprays and dust in the bedroom, there are all sorts of challenges to get through in order to get your wall mirrors looking like new again.
Secret Weapon
We’re going to fill you in on our not-so-secret ingredient that helps us clean even the toughest of mirror grime – vinegar. Grab an old spray bottle and fill it half with water and half with vinegar (clear vinegar, of course) and then spray liberally over your mirror and it’ll be clean in no time. This is especially useful for bathroom mirrors, which can suffer from a build-up of soap scum and will require tougher cleaning.
Choosing the Right Cloth
There’s nothing worse than cleaning glass mirrors and finding that they’re in a worse state than before you started thanks to left over cloth fibres and dust. Make sure that you use a lint free cloth so that your efforts don’t get wasted. Bedroom mirrors should only require a wipe over to get rid of dust so a damp lint free or microfiber cloth should do the trick.
Make it Shine with Soda Water
You may not know about the many, many uses for soda water (not just a mixer you know!) but one fantastic way to use it is to add shine to surfaces and to glass framed mirrors. Spray it on with a spray bottle or dip a cloth in a glass and use it to bring some life back into the glass. Not only will it help remove some tough marks and stains but it is also odourless and won’t ruin the walls if you accidentally miss your target. Use it on glass to ensure it stays looking sharp and glossy.
Regular cleaning will keep your mirrors looking their best – once you’ve had your spring clean, get into the habit of making it a routine part of your cleaning cycle and you’ll be saved a lot less hassle when it comes to those more in-depth cleaning sessions.
Do you want to make your home or office looking great? One of the things you can do is to regularly clean the glass- from mirrors to glass windows and doors. This way, you can make it look clean and new all the time.
However, removing dust, dirt, and even scratches and marks on glass can be difficult. So here are four glass cleaning tips you can consider:
Avoid washing windows on a sunny day. Did you know that direct exposure to sunlight and heat can leave streaks and residue on your glass windows? Although the heat can dry your window up after washing, residues get left behind. As such, try to clean them on a cloudy day so that you can have a shiny glass window without the streak.
Clean the glass top to bottom. Another secret to achieving that brilliant shine is to clean the glass from top to bottom. When washing them, begin at the top and carefully work your way down so that you can avoid drips on the glass. Otherwise, the drips will dry up and leave residues behind. For hard to reach surfaces such as the corners of your glass windows, you can use a cotton swab to remove dust and dirt which have accumulated there.
Avoid dripping glass cleaners on woodwork. Take note that most glass and window cleaners can damage woodwork such as frames on windows and mirrors. As much as possible, take extra precaution not to drip them on the wood. When spraying the glass cleaner, spray the window or mirror in small sections from the top down so as not to damage the wooden surfaces. You can also opt to use a homemade window cleaner to give your mirror a brilliant shine. A homemade window cleaner is milder; yet is effective as branded ones so you won’t have to worry much about causing damage. Just mix one cup of water with one tablespoon white vinegar and one cup of isopropyl alcohol. This will let the cleaner evaporate quickly, giving the glass a nice shine.
Use cleaning materials that won’t leave any marks. Did you know that wiping the glass twice can leave behind streaks? That’s why it is recommended that you use a squeegee. For tall glass windows and walls, you can use a long handled squeegee. Just polish each side of the window or wall. You can also use an old cotton shirt when washing your windows.
These are four glass cleaning tips that can help you get the shine you want. So start cleaning now and see the great result!
This article was written by the writer of www.thejanitorialsupply.com. TheJanitorialSupply is a website that has the best cleaning supplies for any project.
This has to be one of the questions that we are asked the most and so we thought it may help to share one of the articles written and published by our very own Jo Betts: http://www.informationgateway.org/hang-mirror-safely/
The article expands on the following simple steps:
Step 1: Never hang your mirror using a chain or a wire
Step 2: Ensure your mirror has D-Shaped Strap Hangers on the back Step 3: Choose the right fittings for your wall type (see the table below)
Step 4: Measure the position of your mirror fixings as well as the mirror itself
Step 5: Put your mirror in place
Not the most exciting topic ever, but if you’ve ever tried to clean a mirror you will understand how frustrating it can be. From one angle it looks clean, only for you to move across the room to see unsightly streaks or smears.
Searching the Internet can produce all sorts of weird and wonderful answers for getting the glass of your mirror to sparkle. From using scrunched up newspaper, mixing white vinegar with concoctions of chemicals, through to using coffee filters as cloths. I am sure that all of these solutions hold merit, but in actual fact achieving that desired shine is so simple…
The biggest culprit for ‘dirt’ on mirrors is dust, especially around the edges next to the frame. My first piece of advice is therefore to start from the middle of the mirror and work outwards. Starting at the edges is the most natural way to start your cleaning, but by doing so with a mirror you are more likely to spread the condensed dirt right across the face of the glass, making the task at hand much more difficult.
Step 1: Dust!
Using a clean dry cloth, start in the middle of the mirror and move the surface dust on the mirror to the edges. You can then go around the frame edge to clean away any loose dirt.
Step 2: Wash!
Put a tiny drop of washing up liquid in a bowl of warm water. The amount of liquid should be so minute that you simply get a couple of surface bubbles on the top of the water and nothing more, it should almost be as though there is nothing in the water. Rinse a new cloth in this water and ring it out so that it is just damp (not dripping water) and wash the surface of your mirror, again from the middle outwards.
Step 3: Dry!
This stage is vital if you want that perfect shine. Use a dry, lint-free cloth and literally dry your mirror and you’ve guessed it, start in the middle and work outwards.
Working in the industry that I do, cleaning mirrors is a regular occurrence for me and it was actually my window cleaner that recommended this technique to me, because after all a mirror is just glass at the end of the day.
So when you are following these simple steps think like a window cleaner: Middle then edges. Dust! Wash! Dry!
Foot note:
Despite what my window cleaner may have suggested, mirrors are not ‘just glass’! If cared for and hung in the right places, mirrors can create the illusion of space, reflect light and can even be used as works of art in their own right. As well as their obvious functional uses, decorative mirrors can form a focal point in a room. Follow this blog for more ‘How to’ tips and ideas for using mirrors in your home or place of work.
It is true to say that mirrors are not always the easiest objects to clean. Many people neglect to look after the mirrors in their home due to some of the frustrations involved.
However, what they might not have considered is changing their cleaning method, so that the usual dirt, streaks and cleaning residue is fully removed from the item for once.
While there is no one universal strategy that is recommended for everyone, there really are ways to ensure the mirror is left sparkling and streak-free following this process. Next time, you might not be so averse to getting on with this task now you know what is required.
Firstly you need to refrain from using harsh chemicals on the mirror surface and the frame. Make sure you only use products which are recommended for this task or create the solution yourself.
This can be achieved by combining one cup of distilled or white vinegar with four cups of warmish water.
Once you have achieved this you should now remove any marks or dirt from the surface and then use a newspaper to act as a cloth. Make slow circling motions with the newspaper strips and rub across the mirror surface. It is important to ensure the mirror is left dry afterwards.
In this day and age when people live such busy lives it is fairly easy for householders to neglect the housework. Within a matter of days the home can look untidy and cluttered. Over a longer period of time, ornaments and decorations can soon gather dust.
While this is understandable to a degree, you can always make a greater effort to look after your possessions better this year. At the start of 2012, this is a good point to make a New Year’s resolution to care for all the mirrors you have installed around the house.
They just need a bit of care and attention every now and again to keep them looking sparkling and as good as new. Then, should you ever have guests round for dinner, they will marvel at how attractive these wall decorations are and how they add to the atmosphere created in your home.
It is not going to cost you the earth either to maintain your mirrors, so make it a priority to clean them according to the recommended methods when they are starting to lose their shine and seem dull. You won’t have to replace them so soon when you start to care for them as they were meant to be cared for.
It would be a shame to invest so much in an exquisite mirror design for your lounge or sitting room, only for it to lose its shine due to years of neglect. With just a little bit of care and attention every now and again you can keep your mirror looking at its best all the time.
To restore your household mirrors to former glories, you just need to have the right equipment to hand. The following is a simple tip to making your mirrors sparkle again like they did in the past.
The restoration of your mirror surface can be achieved by dipping a clean cloth in a 50/50 mix of water or denatured alcohol and borax. Then all you need to do is wipe the mirror using the cloth and finish off by polishing it with a paper towel or lint-free cloth.
By doing the above, this should help you to achieve the shine you were hoping for and bring your mirror back to life. When your guests come round to visit they will surely notice the difference in the reflection within the mirror as it can really change its appearance for the better.
Mirrors are an excellent form of room decoration as not only do they look good when they are viewed hanging there on the wall, but they also serve a number of other purposes too, unlike a painting or portrait. However, when you have just purchased a new mirror for your hall, living room or dining room, you need to think about how to get the best reflection out of it.
Due to the fact that mirrors are able to add light to a room while creating an illusion that there is more space in there than there actually is, you need to position the mirror correctly to achieve this.
If you are wondering how you can angle the mirror effectively then consider the following points.
Firstly, before you hang the mirror up; be sure to take a look around the room to determine whether you have chosen a suitable place to hang the mirror. You could place it on a wall adjacent to a work of art so it reflects the painting and gives the room a spacious feel.
Angling the mirror downwards slightly will allow the reflection to pick up attractive objects which are kept within the room.
Make sure the mirror is not angled so it reflects any glare. Therefore, be sure to bear in mind the location of any windows.
A mirror is ideal for making any small space appear bigger and adds to the illusion that a room is more spacious than it actually is. Due to the fact that natural light is reflected by the mirror, the place also seems much brighter too. So these are the benefits of hanging a mirror in a prime location within the home, but what about how to hang it onto the wall?
Large wall mirrors are a popular choice for those looking to create the effect above, where a room seems larger than it really is. However, as they are considerably more bulky than standard sized mirrors, you need to approach the hanging of the mirror very carefully. Be sure to get the positioning right.
In order to ensure the large wall mirror is placed safely and securely onto the selected wall, you should take care not to damage the mirror when handling it. Don’t be shy at asking for help to mount the mirror as it is more important not to risk injury or ruining the mirror by dropping it.
As well as the safety aspects, you need to have the right equipment to hand. This means you need to buy a decent quality D-ring picture hanger that is not easy to bend. The hanging wire also needs to be durable and strong, while you need to select the right sized wall anchors. All this will obviously depend on the size and shape of your mirror.
If you have put up a decorative mirror in your hall or bathroom, but over time it has started to lose its shine, then do not fret as you will soon be able to have it gleaming again.
When you go about cleaning the mirror to remove the dirt and any discolouration you need to use the right procedure, avoiding spoiling it further.
Once cleaned, in the correct manner, you will be able to admire its beauty for many more years yet.
Elsewhere you will be able to find advice on how to actually go about cleaning the mirror, but it is important to consider a few things first.
Firstly, the frame itself needs to be cleaned differently from the way you go about removing dirt from the surface of the mirror itself.
It is also worth pointing out that ingredients such as acids, alkalis and abrasives, should not be used at all during the cleaning process.
Do not spray any cleaning solution directly onto the mirror’s surface.
The type of mirror you have will determine the cleaning method most suitable for it.
Afterwards, you can tell that the mirror has been cleaned in the appropriate manner by the fact that it now sparkles again, without any streaks being present.
