Mirrors. Yes, they can be a bear to keep clean. If you’re reading this, you are likely at your wits’ end. You’ve probably tried countless “streak-free” cleaning products to no avail. All you want is for your mirrors to be clear of streaks and smudges. Is that so much to ask? We fear not, because I am about to show you how to clean mirrors the fast and effective way.
Best of all, you can stop pouring your money down a rat hole with those expensive store-bought formulas. I’ll show you how you can create your own for much less using everyday household items. So let’s jump right in so you can finally enjoy crystal-clear mirrors in your home.
How to Clean Mirrors | 3 Proven Methods
Fortunately, you’re about to learn the best way to clean mirrors using your very own homemade cleaning solutions. I’ll teach you how to clean mirrors without streaks. You’ll even learn how to remove white spots with vinegar.
By knowing how to clean glass properly, your mirrors will have no choice but to declare you as the fairest of them all. 🙂
Mixing Up Your Homemade Cleaning Solutions
One of the most effective ways for how to clean mirror smudges is to create your own DIY glass cleaner solution. This powerful homemade remedy makes it easy to get bright, clear glass throughout your house.
But as we all know, mirrors can often be more stubborn than glass. For situations like this, you need an equally powerful DIY mirror cleaner solution. Thankfully, there are several formulas you can mix up, right in the comfort of your own home.
Cleaning Mirrors With Vinegar

Vinegar and Water
This first powerful cleaner will show you how to clean mirrors with vinegar. First things first. Grab an empty, clean spray bottle. Using equal parts water and vinegar, full up the spray bottle.
White vinegar is preferable, but you can use apple cider vinegar in a pinch. Simply spray your mirrors and wipe them down with a microfiber cleaning cloth. For many people, cleaning mirrors with vinegar alone does the trick.
Vinegar and Rubbing Alcohol
If, however, it proves to be unsuccessful, there is another solution we can try. Once again, you’ll need an empty spray bottle. Now, add in ¼ cup of rubbing alcohol, and ¼ cup of white vinegar.
Next, mix in a tablespoon of cornstarch. Finally, add several drops of your favorite essential oil to give the mixture a nice scent. This also helps to mask the odor of the rubbing alcohol and vinegar.
Give this powerful mirror cleaning solution a try and see how it does. The abrasive nature of the ingredients help to rid your mirrors of streaks and smudges.
Now you know how to remove smear stain on mirror surfaces. You should be left with sparkling, bright mirrors after using this homemade remedy.
If you’re still scratching your head and waiting for results, I have a third option that might give you the kind of clean you’re looking for.
Vinegar and Dish Soap
Guess what, no empty spray bottle is needed for this one! Begin by filling up a bucket of warm water. In it, you’re going to want to add ½ cup of white vinegar. Now pour in 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Finally, add 2 teaspoons of your favorite dish soap.
Dawn dish soap is preferable, but any brand should suffice. This should give you a gunk-busting formula that will leave any mirror spotless.
You can use a variety of cleaning tools with this formula. Some people like to use a toothbrush to get stubborn spots. But for the most part, a sponge works just fine to clean the mirror overall.
How’s it looking? For best results, always wipe your mirrors clean using a microfiber cleaning cloth. This usually results in your mirror looking streak-free and clean of any residue.

Extra tip: Cleaning Your Bathroom Mirror
That’s right, the nastiest, dirtiest mirror in your home. For this section, I’ll show you how to clean bathroom mirror surfaces so that you get the best results.
As you know, this mirror is the one that’s likely to collect the most build-up. From water splashes to toothpaste spatter, there’s no telling what’s lurking on your bathroom mirror.
Thankfully, there are a variety of ways to get it clean. You might be surprised to learn that simply using rubbing alcohol and a cotton ball often yields the best results.
This simple one-two punch is ideal for removing stains and white spots, too. All you need to do is focus the rubbing alcohol on the areas that need the most attention.

Additionally, you can use a toothbrush to get in corners and other hard-to-reach places. Once you have gotten the stubborn stuff out of the way, it’s time to move on to the various homemade cleaning solutions you made up.
You can use these to finish off the main parts of the bathroom mirror. Many people ask, can you use Mr. Clean on mirrors? Well, it really depends on the product. Magic Erasers, for example, do a bang-up job of removing all manner of build-up in your bathroom.
If you don’t mind springing for this item, go right ahead. Depending on the severity of your dirty mirror, you might welcome all the help you can get. You can always use the Magic Eraser for the more difficult areas.
Then just follow up with your homemade remedies. You can repeat this on all other glass, like windows, if you so desire. Now you know how to clean mirror surfaces all throughout your home.