Once you have custom glass installed in your home, your biggest task will be to clean and care for your glass pieces properly so that they will retain their quality and value over the long term. It can be easily to neglect daily maintenance, but allowing things to get out of control will only make your task more difficult down the road.

If properly cared for, most custom glass pieces should last for the lifetime of your home, providing you and your family with generations of beauty and enjoyment. However, if not properly cared for, custom glass pieces in your home can actually end up being detracting from your home’s value, rather than adding to it.

In the interest of helping you properly care for your glass pieces at home, here are a few glass care tips for different types of glass around your home:

Shower Doors

Fortunately, shower doors do not require a heavy amount of care and maintenance to provide years of faithful service. Make sure to avoid using cleaners that could scratch your glass or damage the metallic finish of your shower door enclosure. Try to use vinegar or vinegar-based cleaners to clean your shower doors rather than utilizing abrasive powders, steel, or Teflon pads. 

Mirrors

When cleaning your mirrors, the simplest recipe for a home cleaning solution is to use a mixture of one-third white vinegar and two-thirds water. Make sure to avoid using harsh cleaning solutions on mirrors, and you should be aware of the three A’s: abrasives, alkali, and acids. These three can be extremely harmful to mirrors, so you should avoid them at all costs.

Your mirror is comprised of reflective layers of tin, silver, and copped back by a layer of paint. Inappropriate solvents can damage and corrode these layers and compromise the integrity of your mirror. In order to prevent spillover, be sure to use a cloth to apply cleaning solution, rather than simply spraying or splashing it directly on the mirror. Don’t forget to wipe the edges of the mirror with a clean, dry cloth at the end of the cleaning process.

Tips and Tricks 

For many people with mirrors in their home, keeping those mirrors streak-free can be one of the most frustrating aspects of glass mirror care. If you want to avoid streaks, try utilizing old newspapers, as they don’t leave any lint behind and they actually add a polishing effect to your mirrors.

If you’re reduced to using paper towels to clean your glass mirrors, be sure to use a new sheet for each section of mirror that you tackle. This will help you minimize streaking. If you have sticky residue leftover after wiping your entire mirror down, you can utilize a sharpened razor blade and remove any residue by pressing gently scraping along the glass through any spots and residue leftover. Any residue should peel right off without scratching your glass. 

When it comes to custom glass care, you can never be too careful about protecting your significant investment! If you have any glass care questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the professional team at House of Mirrors at 1-403-253-3777 today!