Your car mirrors are vital to your ability to operate your car safely and protect yourself, your passengers, and others on the road. Like every other part of your car, however, they tend to get dirty or develop a film that affects their performance. In addition to your regular trips to the car wash, you should be sure to keep up with cleaning your mirrors regularly.
Your rear view mirror on the inside of your car is just as important as the side-view mirrors on the exterior, so take the time to clean each of them frequently. You will be impressed by the improved view you experience while driving. If you wonder how to make car mirrors shine like glass, you won’t want to miss out on these helpful tips.
The Basics of Cleaning Car Mirrors
Keeping your car mirrors clean doesn’t have to be a complicated chore. To perform basic, regular cleaning, all you need is a lint-free cloth and a good quality glass cleaner. Some people make the mistake of using paper towels, but they tend to leave streaks and lint. Others swear by newspaper, but this is messy and dirty to use, so the best product is a simple lint-free cloth. Keep these other tips in mind for basic day-to-day cleaning.
Put cleaner on the cloth
For most of us, the natural tendency is to spray the cleaning solution directly on the mirror. However, this is a bad idea because the excess cleaner can drip or run into the mirror’s housing and eventually cause it to break down. The only time you should spray directly on the mirror is when it has gunk built up on it that you need to soak to get loose. Otherwise, always spray the cleaner on the cloth and then wipe the mirror down with it.
Use a circular motion
Another common tendency when cleaning mirrors or any glass is to wipe the whole way across horizontally or vertically—and then sometimes around the edge for good measure. This is not the best way to clean car mirrors, though. Because the mirrors are small, you get a better streak-free effect by cleaning in small circles.
Only use a glass cleaner
People often just grab the most easily accessible multi-purpose cleaner in their cabinet when they clean their car mirrors. You should always be sure to use a cleaner that is made specifically for glass, though. Solutions that contain ammonia can harm the glass, and other cleaners are somewhat sudsy, which always results in smudges and streaks.
Keep it shady and cool
Be sure to clean your car mirrors and any other glass surfaces in a garage or shaded area after it has cooled down from being driven or sitting in direct sunlight. Warm surfaces cause your glass cleaner to evaporate while you are cleaning, and you will end up with streaks and spots.
How to Clean Car Side Mirrors
If one of the issues you face in cleaning your auto glass is a cloudy side-view mirror, there are several ways to clean the mirror or mirrors and get them to look new again. The three most effective methods utilize products that you probably already have on hand, so choose one of these processes to remove the cloudiness from your side-view mirrors.
Shaving cream
Be sure to use shaving cream instead of a shaving gel, and squirt a small amount onto your cloth. Run the shaving cream into the mirror using circular motions, and be careful not to get it into the mirror housing. Wipe the excess shaving cream off with a clean cloth, and then polish with a clean, dry cloth until the mirror shines. If the mirror is still cloudy, repeat until the cloudiness is gone.
Vinegar
Get a small bowl of white vinegar and a couple of lint-free cloths. Dip your cloth into the vinegar, and then wipe the mirror top to bottom, from left to right, with the vinegar in an “S” shape. This will help minimize streaks. Repeat this process until the cloudiness is gone. When you finish, wipe the mirror down with water and clean with a quality glass cleaner.
Rubbing alcohol
Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into a bowl, and use cotton pads or cotton balls dipped in the alcohol to clean the mirror. This method will remove most dirt and grime from the mirror, but you may still need to use shaving cream or vinegar to get cloudiness to disappear.
Choose a Top Quality Glass Cleaner
If you want to achieve professional results when you clean your car mirrors, it is vital to choose a cleaning solution that stands out from all the others on the market. If you don’t know a lot about glass cleaners, the best choice to make is Mirror Shine by Torque Detail. This amazing product is more than just a car mirror cleaning liquid, so you’ll find many ways to keep your vehicles looking finely detailed once you get a bottle for your garage. You can use Mirror Shine on alloy, chrome, windows, mirrors, and any glass surface. You can even use it on your other big boy toys such as fiberglass boats. Just be sure not to use it on plastic.
Mirror shine is a hydrophobic cleaning product, so it does more than clean the grime off your surfaces. It coats the surface to repel water and prevents water spots from rain and other weather. It also bonds to paint coatings due to its patented polymer-based formula. It is completely versatile, and you can use it in place of your other polish and seal, wax, and car wash products. In addition to being a great glass cleaner, Mirror Shine is also known as the best mirror shine car wax. All you need is a microfiber towel—and just like the instructions above state, spray the cleaner on the towel and then buff your surfaces.
Torque Detail Mirror Shine vs. Ceramic Shine
If you are familiar with Torque Detail product lines or have checked out its website, you may wonder what the difference is between its Ceramic Shine and the Mirror Shine products. These are both high-performance sealants, but they differ a bit in their intended use and results. Consider these differences between the two products.
Ceramic Shine
- Must be applied evenly and with careful attention
- Offers protection for up to 12 months
- The silicon dioxide creates a hard shell-like layer in the product
- Hydrophobic/water repellent
- Leaves a glass-like finish
- Similar effects to a ceramic coating
Mirror Shine
- Easy to apply for a variety of uses
- Offers up to six months of protection
- Acts as a synthetic polymer sealant
- Creates a wax-like finish
- Offers a deep, natural shine
- Developed as a sealant and wax hybrid
Trust the Glass Cleaner Reviews
If you need further encouragement to try this spectacular product, all you need to do is read the many testimonials and Torque Mirror Shine customer reviews online. Torque Detail stands by this product, and so do the many satisfied customers who have tried it. For example, Josh S. says, “Saw this being promoted on a big YouTube channel and thought why not try it. Was a bit skeptical but WOW. Super easy to apply, and the car is shining. Water still pelts off three weeks later! Gonna ditch the wax and will continue to use.”
I’m a kid at heart disguised as an auto researcher and business owner. I’ve always enjoyed providing insight in the form of reviews (anime, video games, autos, etc.) When I’m not researching, I’m spending time with my family, driving my Dodge Challenger, riding my motorcycle, and finding new entrepreneurial pursuits.
