November weather can often seem dull and dreary. The leaves have fallen off the trees, the grass is no longer green and yet snow is still a month or so away. Don’t let this lack lustre feel invade your home; keep your mirrors clean and bright. It’s that simple – because a clean mirror can transform your room, as well as your mood!
Nowhere is this more evident than in the Chinese philosophical practices of Feng Shui. Called the aspirin of Feng Shui, mirrors are one of its most popular cures. Followers believe the right placement of mirrors in your home and office can bring positive energy and calm to specific areas.
Ask any interior decorator and they, too, will highlight the power of a well-placed mirror. From making a small room seem larger, generating more light through reflection, to just enhancing decor in general.
Keep your mirrors sparkling this fall with simple homemade solutions – and a few tricks of the trade:
WHITE VINEGAR
One of the best ways to clean windows is to use a white vinegar / water combo.
- Simply mix one-part hot water to one-part distilled white vinegar and let cool.
- Now ready to use, pour mixture into a spray bottle and spritz your microfibre cloth. (Spraying the cloth, rather than directly spraying the mirror helps avoid any damage to the mirror itself, from the cleaning solution seeping underneath a frame, etc).
- Wipe your mirror clean for a streak-free finish.
LEMON
A squeeze of lemon is another non-toxic solution.
- Just add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to two cups of water.
- Pour this mixture in your spray bottle and it will not only clean your mirror nicely, it will also get rid of any bad odour along the way.
TEA
To give your mirror a beautiful shine, pour yourself a strong cup of black tea.
- Brewed in a pot, be sure to allow the tea to cool before use.
- Use a microfibre cloth dampened in the brewed tea to wipe the mirror’s surface.
- Buff your mirror with a dry microfibre cloth and get a sparkling streak-free shine.
RUBBING ALCOHOL
Much like spot-treating stains on laundry before washing them, rubbing alcohol preps the mirror for a good clean.
- Simply place some rubbing alcohol on a microfibre cloth and wipe that mess away.
- It’s the secret to ridding mirrors of any globs of toothpaste or other substances that may have become stuck.
Q-TIPS
For those difficult corners and edges use a Q-tip.
- Just dip the Q-tip into any of the above-mentioned cleaning solution, rub it on the hard-to-reach area and voila!
- It’s the perfect precision tool, especially for ornate mirrors.
