It could be the hinged mirror on your way out the door, the drilled mirror on the bathroom wall, or the rearview mirror of your car that you come across daily. More often than not, especially when you have kids, your mirror tends to acquire stains and deteriorate quickly.
Of course, we are aware that a magic eraser can get the most challenging stains off any surface. But is it suitable for our mirrors, or would it end up as a cleaning disaster?
This article will give you complete information on using magic erasers on mirrors and answer your questions on those bogging mirror issues.
Can You Use Magic Eraser on Mirror?
Of course, you can use a magic eraser on your mirror without fear of ruin as it is safe to use on glass surfaces. It gives a neat and squeaky clean mirror that glistens, especially when you accompany the cleaning with a few other cleaning products and hacks.
Is It Okay to Wipe a Mirror with a Dry Magic Eraser?
It all comes down to the type of “wiping” you need the magic eraser to do. It is essential to state that a magic eraser works best when wet and dry. It is the application that determines which to employ.
Now, when there’s a fresh liquid splatter on the mirror, or you have a foggy mirror due to heat or cold, a dry magic eraser can come in handy to get the water droplets out of the mirror’s surface neatly.
While on the other hand, if your mirror is ridden with dried traces of stickers, hard water residue, detergent marks, food, or cosmetic splatters, then a wet magic eraser immersed in certain cleaning products and water would get the job.
Also, if your mirror has a stainless steel frame, using a magic eraser on it will likely leave scratches.
How Do You Clean a Mirror with a Magic Eraser?
Method 1: Getting Fingerprint off the Mirror with a Magic Eraser
YOU’LL NEED
1- Spray bottle
2- Rubber gloves
3- Hot water
4- Liquid soap
5- Magic eraser
6- Microfiber fabric
STEPS
STEP 1: Boil a glass of water (preferably soft water) and pour in a spray bottle while wearing your rubber gloves.
STEP 2: Drop a few droplets of liquid soap into the spray bottle, then shake the mixture together (do not let the mixture be so soapy).
STEP 3: You only need a few drops on the surface, so kindly spritz a little on each affected section.
STEP 4: You would also notice a little fog develop due to the hot water. Immediately, begin cleaning.
STEP 5: Gently and thoroughly wipe the magic eraser on the affected area.
STEP 6: Finally, use the microfiber fabric for a final damping wipe.
Method 2: Getting Hard Water Stains off the Mirror with a Magic Eraser
YOU’LL NEED
1- Spray bottle
2- White vinegar
3- Soft water
4- Microfiber fabric
5- Magic eraser
STEPS
Suppose the water flowing from your tap is highly concentrated with calcium ions (hard water). In that case, you shouldn’t use the same water for the cleaning, and here’s a quick way to “soften” the water.
if you can’t afford water softening filters to be installed in your home yet, you could simply boil your water. That would remove the excess mineral deposit in your water.
STEP 1: Pour ¼ glass of lukewarm water into a spray bottle and also ¼ glass of white vinegar into the same spray bottle.
STEP 2: Put off the lights in the room as we would need the solution to sit for a while on the mirror at a point.
STEP 3: Shake the mixture well and spray generously on the magic eraser without soaking it to the point of dripping.
STEP 4: Squeeze the magic eraser just to avoid droplets rolling down while scrubbing the mirror.
STEP 5: With that done, begin scrubbing the hard water streaks either in a circular motion or from top to bottom, each stroke overlapping the previous.
STEP 6: Let the solution stay for about a minute before using the microfiber cloth to wipe the mirror.
Method 3: Getting Sticker and Dried Toothpaste Splatter off the Mirror with a Magic Eraser
YOU’LL NEED
1- Nail polish remover
2- Spray bottle
3- Magic eraser
4- Rubber gloves
5- Water
6- Microfiber cloth
STEPS
STEP 1: Pour into a spray bottle a tiny amount of nail polish remover.
STEP 2: Spritz generously on the sticker leftover and let the solution sit for a few seconds.
STEP 3: Then, begin to gently but firmly scrub the glue or paper out with the aid of the magic eraser. This process also applies to the dried toothpaste splatter.
STEP 4: After working the stains off, dampen the microfiber cloth and wipe the mirror from edge to edge.
4 Mirror Cleaning Hacks
1- White Toothpaste for Mirror Scratches
Mirror scratches happen once in a while, and when they do, the toothpaste sitting in your cabinet can be resorted to as a quick fix:
Clean the mirror for any dirt or stain with a neat towel. Smear the scratched area with the paste and use a microfiber cloth to firmly wipe in a circular motion.
Continue wiping till the mirror is clear, and you will surely see an improvement. Repeat the process if need be.
2- Lemon Juice to Clear a Foggy Mirror
With the acidic properties of lemon juice, you can constantly have a clear mirror with just a few drops of the fluid:
Squeeze 1 or 2 lemons in a bowl. Dampen a clean towel with the freshly squeezed lemon juice and begin to swipe over the mirror.
If you can pour the liquid into a spray bottle and spritz it all over the mirror, that would be perfect, too.
While still wet, use a microfiber cloth to thoroughly reach every edge and wipe till you get that squeaky sound and look.
3- Baking Soda to Restore a Dull Mirror Surface
When your mirror has lost its gloss and shine, you can definitely still get it to look good as new with the baking soda shiner:
Pour baking soda into a bowl. Add water to form a not-to-thick paste. Spread the mixture all over the mirror and let it sit for about 10 minutes. At that point, it would have been dried.
Then, dip a microfiber cloth into water, wringer, and begin wiping the mirror surface clean.
You would notice that its shine would be restored like how it was when you just purchased it.
4- Cover Your Bathroom Mirror with a Cloth Whenever You Are Having a Bath
We tend to ignore the effect of the vapor that gathers while we are having that nice steamy bath on our bathroom mirror.
And because many of us might not have the luxury of time for a daily mirror cleaning, you can simply fix a curtain over your mirror, depending on its size and length, before and during your bath to prevent a foggy mirror which you might end up not remembering to get it dried up, which in a few days, would form streaks on the mirror surface.
Why Did My Bathroom Mirror Suddenly Develop Black Spot?
Did you wake up one morning to wash your face only to notice certain dark spots in the middle and the edges of your mirror?
You are not alone, and there’s nothing to be worried about. The changes happening on your mirror –the black spot- are called desilvering.
Desilvering is the process whereby the quality and coat of your mirror begin to degrade. 3 significant factors contribute to the degradation of your mirror: moisture, wrong cleaning products, and an aged (antique) mirror.
• Daily Usage of Cleaning Solutions: Daily cleaning of your mirror with cleaning solutions or water can inject too much moisture than good on your mirror.
Of course, the cleaning job will be done, and your mirror will constantly gleam. Still, the quality is slowly deteriorating, and if the mirror is made of low-grade material, the silver coat will wear out faster.
Black spots would begin to form on the surface.
• Steam: This still comes down to moisture. Remember that moisture is not a good friend of the mirror.
If you are a fan of steamy baths and you don’t take cognizance of its effects on your mirror, then the mirror is on its way to damage.
Frequent exposure to vapor would cause the mirror’s edges to begin to develop black, crusty spots.
• Bad Cleaning Products: Like how it applies to the human body and a host of other surfaces when you use the wrong products, it leads to inevitable damage.
Certain cleaning products have high acidity and are too strong for the mirror surface. When applied during cleaning, it would weaken the surface area.
It would result in the overnight development of those black spots.
• Aged Mirror: Sometimes, time actually tells on mirrors, and when they do, you will begin to see the development of black patches on the edges of the mirror.
5 Ways To Fix A Mirror With Black Spots
1- Clean the mirror with a microfiber cloth daily and use cleaning solutions at least once a week.
2- Cover the mirror with a cloth during your steamy bath.
3- Ensure proper ventilation immediately after a steamy bath.
4- Use cleaning products with low acidic content.
5- Apply a desilvering product on the surface to revive the mirror and clear the black spots.
Final Thoughts!
Mirror cleaning isn’t complicated. With the right products like the magic eraser and cleaning agents, you are sure to have your mirror looking good as news. Certain common issues come with a mirror.
This article has explored the solutions to all mirror care issues that would give you a long-lasting mirror. Someone will definitely find this article helpful. Spread the love by sharing this with someone.
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