Many people complain about dark brown rust spots on bathroom mirrors due to excess moisture. These can ruin the glass material if left untreated for a longer time.
How to Remove Rust From Bathroom Mirror? You can remove rust from a bathroom mirror with a re-silver kit, aluminum foil, white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and toothpaste. In addition, you can prevent rust on the mirror by using proper ventilation, sealants, plastic screws, chrome-free mirrors, and avoiding harsh cleaners.
It is necessary to remove the corrosion when you see it on their sides before tarnishing or Desilvering the complete surface. Moreover, it is common in chrome-coated mirrors because it can scratch easily and expose the metal surface.
How do you remove rust from the bathroom mirror?
Using different home-based cleaning products, you can keep the bathroom mirrors clean and spot-free. Moreover, you can also keep it neat and glossy by maintaining the relative humidity level.
Re-silver the mirror
Coating a glass mirror with a reflective silver layer is the silvering technique. It is done to make the surface most reflective and clear.
The Desilvering occurs due to scratches and water exposure for a long time, eventually leading to black tarnished spots.
Because of their damaged sealant coating, you cannot treat the delivered mirror with any cleaners or home products. Removing the old silvering layer and adding the new one using a re-silver kit is necessary.
It contains all of the necessary tools and sealing materials for this process. Remove the mirror from the frame and remove the old layer using the scrapper or paint stripper.
Clean the glass surface with a cleaning situation and rinse it completely. Reapply the silver layer after drying the surface and wait for 1 to 2 days.
Apply the copper sealant on the silver to give the furnished appearance.
Aluminum foil
Sometimes the rusting starts from the edges of the mirror. It occurs due to metal screws or aluminum frames that can rust easily.
You can use aluminum foil because it is mildly abrasive and remove the brown spots from the sides and prevent rust on the surface.
Take the large piece of aluminum foil and make a ball by folding it in your hand. Dip the ball made with aluminum foil in warm water for a few minutes.
Take out the ball and move it to the corners of the glass surface. The abrasive corners of aluminum foil remove the dried rust particles.
Repaint the edges after sanding them with aluminum foil. You can also use low grit sandpaper instead of an aluminum foil ball.
White vinegar
You can remove the corrosion from the mirrors using white vinegar. White vinegar is abrasive because of the presence of acetic acid that can dissolve the rust from the affected surfaces.
It is an affordable method because vinegar is a home-based product and is readily available at home. In addition, it takes time and is less costly.
Moreover, white vinegar cannot damage the silver layer on the glass surface. Pour some vinegar into the bowl and dip a cloth in it.
Rub the dipped cloth on the tarnished surface in a circular motion and wipe off the excess vinegar solution with a damp cloth.
Baking soda solution
Sprinkle the dried baking soda on the affected area and then rub it with a damp cloth. It is also helpful in removing dark brown stains because of its highly abrasive nature.
In addition, it is also necessary to leave it for some minutes so it can dissolve the corrosion particles. You can also sprinkle the dried powder on the rusty surface and add water.
Rub the scrub on its surface and rinse with water. Moreover, you can also repeat the procedure if you see little brownish stains on them after cleaning.
Reuse the mirror after drying them completely because it can damage the silver coating.
Lemon juice and powdered cleansers
Remove the mirrors from the bathroom walls and dry them with a wet cloth. Squeeze the lemon on the affected surface and add a pinch to make it abrasive.
Salt particles help in rubbing and removing dark brown stains. Let the salt and lemon juice solution sit there for 3 to 5 minutes, then wipe it with a damp rag.
Moreover, you can also use powdered cleansers to resolve the problem. For example, oxalic acid-based cleaning powders are available in the market that can clear rust.
Add water to the oxalic acid powder and make a thick paste. Apply this on the mirror and clean it with wet baby wipes or a damp cloth.
Toothpaste and scrubs
Toothpaste is the cleaning solution for removing rust from glass material. These are safe for glass because they contain no ammonia-based harsh detergents.
It contains baking soda that can dissolve the corrosion from the affected surface and give a clear and shiny appearance. Pour some water on the glass to make them wet for scrubbing purposes.
Add toothpaste to the scrubs and then rub it on the brownish area. Avoid applying toothpaste directly on its surface because small abrasives produce scratches.
Mixing the toothpaste in baking soda can also make the technique more effective.
How do you prevent bathroom mirror from rusting?
You can prevent rust on the bathroom mirrors by using the correct solutions for their cleaning. Avoid using ammonia-based cleaning solutions on it.
Moreover, it is also necessary to check the glass cleaners and ensure that they are ammonia free. Do not spray the cleaning solutions directly on the surface of the glass because it can damage the silver layer.
Apply the solutions to the cloth and then apply it to its surface. You can reduce the risk of corrosion by using chrome-free mirrors in bathrooms.
Replace the metal screws with plastic for their hanging purpose and reduce the chances of corrosion. Select the frame material carefully because you can face problems with metal frames.
Properly ventilate the interiors, keep the windows open, and install fans to reduce the relative humidity. It is also crucial to keep them dry and wipe them off with a dry cloth after taking a shower.
How often to remove rust from the bathroom mirror?
It is necessary to treat the mirrors with different cleaning products once a week whenever you see brown marks on their boundaries.
The cleaning practices depend on their location in the bathroom. For example, you have to treat them more frequently if they are near the vanity and shower area because of more exposure to water and tarnishing.
The chances of Desilvering and tarnishing increase when metal is exposed to water. In addition, the high-quality mirrors are coated with sealants to prevent them from rusting.
The uncoated and unsealed ones require more maintenance and cleaning because of the high chances of rust. Moreover, you have to remove the corrosion frequently from the metal screws so it cannot move to the edges of the glass surface.
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