Mirrors and glass surfaces attract dust, dirt and scratches, and every touch leaves a fingerprint. But when they gleam, the whole house sparkles. A few standard household item and a little elbow grease should keep mirrors and glass surfaces clean.
Here are some simple cleaning methods to keep them looking good.
Mirrors
- Keep mirrors gleaming with a mixture of warm water and vinegar. Combine 1 cup (250ml) white vinegar with 1-litre warm water and rub onto the mirror with a soft cloth. Use crumpled newspaper to wipe the mixture away in slow circles. Hey presto. No streaks.
- Clean a mirror by rubbing it with a potato cut in half, then rinsing with water and polishing. It will keep bathroom fog at bay, too, which is an added bonus.
- Keep mirrors clean without leaving streaks by wiping them with cool, strong black tea and drying with a chamois.
- Use little methylated spirits to leave a nice lustre after polishing. This will also remove the sticky film left by hairspray.
- De-fog mirrors with a hair dryer after a shower. A quick blast should clear up the problem.
- Prevent mirrors from fogging up by coating them with shaving cream or toothpaste and wiping them dry with a clean towel before showering.
- Avoid placing a mirror in direct sunlight, as that can dull its surface.
Glass surfaces
- Wipe tabletops with lemon juice, drying them with a paper towel before polishing with newspaper to keep them shining like new.
- Polish away small scratches by smearing on a little toothpaste and then buffing it off with a soft cloth.
- Remove dried-on dirt specks by wiping them with ammonia and water.
- Allow wax to harden before carefully lifting it off with a razor blade. Use methylated spirits to remove the remainder.
- Smooth a sharp chip on a glass surface by covering the edge with a thick layer of clear nail polish.
- Clean flat-screen monitors and televisions with a soft, dry microfibre cloth (the kind you use to clean spectacles), wiping it gently. Don’t scrub as pushing on the screen can burn out the pixels. Instead, barely dampen your cloth with distilled water.
Follow these tips and expect brilliant results. Meanwhile, if you need professional help in cleaning your home, consider working with one of the leading cleaning service providers in Australia.