Smears on a mirror

Gloria S
by Gloria S

I have a large mirror in a large frame that ALWAYS has smears after I clean it. I have tried EVERYTHING but there are still smears !! (Windex..vinegar..) Please someone tell me something I can use to clean the mirror that will get rid of the smears !! Thnx


  15 answers
  • Diane Behn Diane Behn on Feb 02, 2015
    Try drying with newspaper.
  • Heather Bushem Heather Bushem on Feb 02, 2015
    Yes, try pure vinegar with newspaper.... A little elbow grease should do the trick. Good luck! :-)
  • Trish106 Trish106 on Feb 03, 2015
    @Gloria S I use one half water to one half vinager in spray bottle smear around and dry using a squeezie. No more smears.
  • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Feb 03, 2015
    Can relate - love clean mirrors and windows and this used to drive me nuts. I wash with a bit of soap in warm water first. Then I rinse with clean water with a bit of vinegar. Then I polish with my Magic Cloth. Best product I've had for a long time.
    • See 1 previous
    • Marion Nesbitt Marion Nesbitt on Feb 03, 2015
      @Glorie Reed Looks a bit like chamois material but not quite. Got a package of various sizes from the Shopping Channel. You use only water, wring it out well to clean things. Maybe same idea as Donna but cleans other things besides glass and mirrors. If it gets too dirty looking, you can hand wash it with soap and water but rinse really well. If interested, I can get some more details off the package I got from the Shopping Channel.
  • Darla Darla on Feb 03, 2015
    Try auto polishing compound. It may be that your mirror is etched a little.
  • Patricia Patricia on Feb 03, 2015
    I've used 1 cup rubbing alcohol, 1 cup vinegar plus 1 tsp. Dawn to clean mirrors and glass for years. I do have a few microfiber cloths dedicated for mirror cleaning. Works like a charm!
  • Donna Donna on Feb 03, 2015
    I use a glass cleaning cloth that I purchased at a $ store. it is a very fine microfibre cloth and I use only water. it takes care of those ghastly smudges on the dresser mirrors, kitchen appliances and even my eye glasses! Best $4 I have ever spent! Don't throw it in the washer as you will fill the little fibres...I just use a little dish soap and wash it by hand. Mine is a year old and works as well as when it was new.
  • MARY FISHER MARY FISHER on Feb 03, 2015
    There are two things you can try, newspaper that is wadded up, read the ink on newspaper is a good window cleaner, and using coffee filters, haven't tried it, but have talked to others who swear by it!
  • Cherie Cherie on Feb 03, 2015
    Microfiber works wonderfully unless you wash it and use fabric softener! Wash them by hand and hang them to dry! But it sounds to me that Darla may be right. Could be etched.
  • Glorie Reed Glorie Reed on Feb 03, 2015
    I would love the info, thanks for the comment. I have some microfiber towels that I really like from Norwex (a little spendy, but work great).
  • Donna Keeling Donna Keeling on Feb 03, 2015
    I use Invisible Glass cleaner, works great!
  • SJazz SJazz on Feb 03, 2015
    Newspaper makes all the difference!
  • Karyn Roesler Karyn Roesler on Feb 03, 2015
    Water, and newspaper or paper towel. Water is the only thing you need to clean a mirror. I used to clean hotel rooms. Water is streak free!
  • Mary McKibbon Basarich Mary McKibbon Basarich on Feb 04, 2015
    Use plain water and a cleaning cloth and drying cloth from Norwex.biz. Sparkling clean mirrors, windows, kitchen appliances, etc.
  • Suzanne Melton Suzanne Melton on Feb 05, 2015
    Once upon a time, I had a retail store. One day, I was cleaning the glass of a new display cabinet. With Windex. And the afternoon sun was blazing in. I couldn't stop the streaks. The guy cleaning the windows on the outside came in and gave me a can of Sprayway Glass Cleaner. I used it to clean the glass next to the Windex part. Not even close. The can looks like this and it's available pretty much everywhere.