You're Cleaning Your Mirror Wrong

In theory, cleaning a mirror shouldn’t be difficult. A few spritzes of a cleaning product, followed by a thorough wipe-down, seems like it should leave you with a streak-free, glistening reflective surface. But far too often, that’s not the case.

If that sounds familiar, you’re probably cleaning your mirror wrong. Here are some common mistakes to avoid.

Avoid these mistakes when cleaning a mirror

Although there’s a lot of focus on using the right product to clean a mirror, a lot of the most common mistakes have to do with technique, and what’s being used to do the wiping. Here are a few examples of these errors:

Using paper towels

As convenient as they are, when you use paper towels to wipe your mirror, they usually leave behind some type of lint, making it look perpetually dirty. Instead, use a clean microfiber cloth, which won’t leave you with streaks or lint.

Not dusting first

Dust accumulation is part of what makes your mirror look dirty. And when you jump right in with your cleaning product—without dusting first—the dust gets wet, and then is spread around the mirror. The process will be easier if you wipe the mirror with a clean, damp microfiber cloth to remove the dust first.

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Using a dirty cloth or sponge

Always wipe your mirror with a fresh, clean cloth. The one you used to clean the rest of the room is filthy, and will make your mirror look even worse.

Spraying cleaner on the mirror

Are you doing everything right, but still somehow ending up with a streaky mirror? Some people find that spraying the cleaning product onto their cloth—rather than directly on the mirror—will take care of that.

When you spritz the mirror, it’s easy to go overboard and use far more of the cleaner than you actually need. If this happens, it could end up dripping, and ultimately, streaking. Spraying the cloth instead of the mirror prevents that.