How to Clean and Care for Glass and Mirrors
Glass is easy to clean and easy to damage permanently, and most of the damage comes from cleaning it. A few things are worth knowing.
The basic method
Warm water, a drop of dishwashing liquid, a microfibre cloth, and a second dry cloth or squeegee. That handles almost everything.
Work top to bottom so drips land on glass you have not done yet. Dry immediately — most streaking is evaporation, not residue.
Avoid cleaning in direct sun. The solution dries before you can wipe it and leaves exactly the marks you were removing.
What not to use
Anything abrasive. Scouring pads, cream cleansers, powders, magic-eraser type sponges. They scratch, and scratches in glass are permanent — there is no polishing them out at domestic scale.
Ammonia on mirrors. This is the big one. Many glass cleaners contain ammonia, which is fine on plain glass but attacks the silvering on a mirror if it reaches the edges or back. That is what causes the black creeping edge you see on old bathroom mirrors.
Blades and scrapers on toughened glass. Toughened glass has a compressed surface layer. Scratch through it and you can trigger failure — sometimes not immediately, which is worse.
Mirrors specifically
The silver backing is the vulnerable part. The glass face is tough, the coating behind it is not.
- Spray the cloth, not the mirror. Liquid running down and sitting along the bottom edge is how backing damage starts.
- Keep cleaner away from the edges.
- Wipe the bottom edge dry after cleaning.
- Use a mirror-specific adhesive when fitting — ordinary construction adhesive can attack the backing chemically and produce dark patches within a year or two.
In a bathroom, ventilation matters more than cleaning. A mirror that sits wet after every shower will deteriorate at the edges regardless of how carefully you wipe it.
Frosted and etched surfaces
An acid etched surface is a real surface, not a coating, but it is still more delicate than plain glass. Treat it gently:
- No abrasives, ever
- No solvent-based cleaners
- Warm soapy water and a soft cloth
- Dry it rather than letting it air dry
Grease is the enemy on frosted glass — it darkens the surface and does not wipe away like it does on clear. Warm water with a little detergent, and patience.
Patterned glass
The texture is part of the glass and cannot wear off, so it is more robust than frosted. But the ridges collect. A soft brush — a clean toothbrush works — gets into the texture where a cloth skates over the top.
This is the reason to fit the textured face away from the water in the first place.
Hard water marks
The most common shower screen complaint. Mineral deposits from evaporated water, and they build up gradually until one day the screen looks permanently cloudy.
Prevention beats cure: squeegee the screen after each use. Thirty seconds a day prevents a problem that takes hours to fix.
Once established, white vinegar diluted about half and half with water, left a few minutes and then wiped off, will shift most of it. Repeat rather than scrub. On a heavily built-up screen, this may take several goes over several days.
Do not use vinegar on frosted or etched surfaces regularly — it is mildly acidic and the etch is an acid-produced surface.
Chips
Any chip in the edge of a panel is worth taking seriously, particularly on toughened glass, where a chipped edge is where a break starts. A chipped toughened panel should be replaced rather than watched.
Questions about a specific panel? Email us at info@affordableglassonline.com.au.