Streak Free Mirror Cleaning Tips

At Spotless Cleaning Cambridge, we have cleaned for thousands of clients over the years, but it doesn’t matter how clean we leave the house if we don’t leave the mirrors looking streak free. A streaky mirror, even if clean, doesn’t look good, so it’s important to know the correct techniques and products to use to get a great looking mirror every time you clean it.

We have tried many different mirror cleaning techniques over the years, but this is the one that works for us. Give it a try and let us know how it works for you.

What doesn’t work when cleaning a mirror

I’m going to start off with what doesn’t work. When I first came to Cambridge from Krakow, Poland and started cleaning, people used to tell me to use newspaper to clean my windows but, believe me, I’ve tried it and it doesn’t work very well. My Mum used to use this technique years ago but the ingredients used in the ink have changed since then and the cleaning products and materials we have available have got better so I really wouldn’t recommend this technique. I found that using newspaper, with a good quality window cleaning product, just left the mirrors looking streaky, no matter how hard I tried to clean them. The ink from the newspaper can also get left behind on plastic surfaces, so read on for a much better tried and tested alternative to this method of glass cleaning. Anyway, who has a newspaper lying around the house these days!

It’s also important to use products or solutions that are designed for the job, not just any old cleaning product as these will leave streaks and create a haze effect over the mirror which is definitely something you don’t want.

Tools of the trade

As with any good workman (or workwoman), it’s important to have the right tools and equipment for the job. If you want your mirrors to be looking sparkling clean and streak free then you will need the following items.

A cleaning cloth – But not just any cleaning cloth, you will need a Microfiber cloth, but not just any Microfibre cloth, you will need a split fibre Microfibre cloth. Basically, there are 2 types of microfiber cloths, flat weave and split fibre. The flat weave cloth is actually designed to repel water and is great when used in clothing such as sports apparel, but when it comes to cleaning cloths, you want the split fibre cloths that are made up of very fine threads of polyester and nylon that combine to form a single microfiber thread. These threads are over one hundred times thinner than a single strand of human hair and when woven together they are extremely absorbent and great at cutting through dirt and grease and leave a streak free finish.

Rubbing alcohol – Isopropyl Alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol and often used on cuts and stings, can easily be bought online. This is your secret ingredient when it comes to having streak free mirrors in the home.

Cotton pad – Cotton Pads can usually be found in any store of Boots or Super Drug. The cotton pad is used in conjunction with the rubbing alcohol.

Cleaning solution – Either a good quality glass cleaner found in your local supermarket or make your own with vinegar and water.

How to clean a mirror

1. Tip a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto the cotton pad and starting top to bottom, remove any foreign objects from the mirror, think toothpaste, hairspray, soap etc. You will need to work quickly as the rubbing alcohol dries fast.
2. Next spray a fine mist of glass cleaner over the mirror, covering the entire surface. Don’t totally soak the mirror with glass cleaner as this will only make the job in hand harder.
3. Now take the microfiber cloth and fold it into quarters, giving yourself 4 clean surfaces to work with that can be flipped around when needed to ensure you are always working with a clean surface.
4. Starting at the top left corner of the mirror, drag the cloth across to the top right corner and swoop down and back across to the left side of the mirror. Keep doing this zig-zag motion until you have reached the bottom of the mirror and all areas of the mirror have been covered. I always clean surfaces in the way as I find it means I never miss anything and it helps eliminate streaks.
5. Check at different angles to ensure no streaks can be seen or you haven’t missed anything. This technique helps sheds extra light on the surface of the mirror and highlights any streaks you couldn’t see before. If there are any spot marks left on the mirror give them a quick spray with your glass cleaner and quick wipe and buff to remove any streaks left behind.
6. And that’s it, the quick and easy way to a clean, streak free mirror, every time.

This really is a quick and easy way to clean a mirror and get great results every time. I have used this method for years and I teach it to all my cleaners so they can make sure our clients always have a Spotless (see what I did there!) and streak free mirror too.