How to Clean Mirrors Without Streaks

Co-authored by Ashley Matuska

Cleaning your mirrors can be a very satisfying household chore. However, it can be really challenging to clean mirrors without leaving behind streaks from the cleaning process. To clean your mirrors without leaving behind streaks, it is important to use the right cleaning solution and materials. Once you have an appropriate cleaning solution and a flat weave microfiber cloth, it is just a matter of learning the technique for wiping down mirrors.^{[1]
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Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Mixing Your Cleaning Solution

1
Mix equal parts vinegar and water. In a spray bottle, add one cup of vinegar. Then, add a cup of water. Close and shake the spray bottle to mix the perfect mirror cleaning solution.^{[2]
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2
Make a homemade glass cleaner. Although equal parts vinegar and water will work for most mirrors, sometimes you want a solution that is a bit more powerful. In this case, you can make your own glass cleaner in a clean container and then fill up a clean spray bottle. Mix the following ingredients for a powerful cleaning solution:^{[3]
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- A quarter cup of white vinegar. If you don’t have any, you can also use apple cider vinegar.
- A quarter cup of rubbing alcohol.
- One tablespoon of cornstarch, which helps reduce streaking.
- Eight to ten drops of essential oil, such as lemon, orange or lavender.
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3
Use dish detergent, lemon juice and vinegar. Another powerful, homemade cleaning solution involves mixing dish detergent with lemon juice, which helps to deodorize, and vinegar. Be careful not to put too much dish detergent into this solution, since it could cause streaks if used excessively. In a bucket of warm water, add the following ingredients:^{[4]
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- One to two teaspoons of dish detergent.
- Four tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Half a cup of white vinegar. If you don’t have it, you can use ammonia.
4
Avoid store-bought cleaners. Although there are many brands of commercial window cleaner, they tend to include excessive amounts of soap, which will cause streaking. As such, you are better off using either an equal part mixture of vinegar and water or a homemade cleaning solution.^{[5]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Getting Rid of Gunk

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Scan the mirror for stains. If it is a bathroom mirror, you may see a lot of toothpaste, hairspray and other stains from cosmetics. If it is a hallway mirror, there could be a lot of dust or dirt that has accumulated in certain areas. Take note of all the stains, since you will need to remove them first in order to avoid streaking. ^{[6]
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Apply rubbing alcohol to a cotton pad. Place the cotton pad on the top of the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Briefly, turn the bottle upside down to soak the pad in rubbing alcohol.
- If you don’t have any rubbing alcohol, you should be able to find it at your local drug store.^{[7]
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Remove the stains with the cotton pad. Dab each of the stains on your mirror with the alcohol soaked cotton pad. Continue scrubbing until you get each of the stains removed. Then, use a clean cotton pad to remove any remaining alcohol or grime from the mirror.^{[8]
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- Rubbing alcohol dries quickly, so you will need to work very efficiently.^{[9]
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Use a toothbrush to clean the corners. If there is a lot of grime or dirt accumulated in the corners of the mirror, you can use a toothbrush to clean these areas. Moisten the toothbrush with rubbing alcohol and then scrub the corners.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Wiping Down the Mirrors

1
Mist the mirror with the cleaning solution. Using your vinegar-based or homemade cleaning solution, mist the entire surface of the mirror.^{[10]
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- Avoid soaking the mirror which will add to the time for this job.
2
Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down the mirror. You will need a flat weave microfiber cloth to wipe down the mirror. Start by folding it into quarters, so you can economize on the number of cloths you use. When one section gets dirty, simply open up the microfiber cloth to find a clean section.^{[11]
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- Terry cloths have too much texture, so they tend to accumulate grime and contribute to streaking.^{[12]
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- Avoid using paper towels since they will leave little bits of lint on your mirror.
- Newspapers are a traditional option but should be avoided because they will cause streaks and may leave ink on your mirror.
EXPERT TIP

Ashley Matuska
Professional Cleaner
Ashley Matuska is a Professional Cleaner at the Founder and Owner of Dashing Maids in Denver, Colorado. Ashley has over seven years of experience in the cleaning industry. She and her team specialize in offering sustainable deep cleaning and maintenance cleaning services.

Ashley Matuska
Professional Cleaner

Dry the mirror thoroughly to avoid leaving streaks. Ashley Matuska of Dashing Maids says: "To avoid leaving streaks on your mirrors, use clean, dry microfiber towels. If you don't have microfiber towels, you can use newspapers -- just make sure they're at least a few weeks old so that the ink is fully dry. Either way, the most important thing is to get your mirror completely dry, no matter what kind of cleaning solution you're using."
3
Use a squeegee to wipe down your mirror. If you own a squeegee, it is a great tool for cleaning your mirrors. After each wipe of your squeegee, you should use a microfiber cloth to wipe away any drips.^{[13]
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Wipe down your mirror, from top to bottom. Using your squeegee or microfiber cloth, start in the top left corner and wipe down your mirror, working your way down in a zig zag pattern. You are wiping the mirror in the shape of the letter ‘S’, which helps avoid any streaking.^{[14]
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Remove any remaining marks on the mirror. Take a look at the whole mirror to see if there are any remaining marks. You may want to shift to the left or to the right to get a better perspective on the mirror. If you see a streak or stain, apply a bit more cleaning solution to your microfiber cloth and quickly wipe it away.^{[15]
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Community Q&A

Question

How do I clean the inside of a car's windshield?

Revad

Community Answer

I always find that using a window cleaning solution (like Windex) and cleaning it off with newspaper, works the best for a streak free window. Don't use the colored newspaper pages, only the black and white portion.
Question

How can I remove an obstinate water stain from shower screen?

Community Answer

Take some newspaper, crumple it up, spray some Windex or Glass Plus and use medium-sized circles to clean (arm motion).
Question

Any other option for rubbing alcohol? Its not available in our area.

Crazyalger

Community Answer

You could use any window cleaner but instead of rags, use a strong paper towel. Try a cheap cleaner like Windex, it's less expensive.