Choosing the Right Mirror for Your Bathroom

Though we typically don’t stare in the same way as the Evil Queen from Snow White, all of us know the value of a bathroom mirror. What else greets us in the morning, oversees our daily dental and skincare regimen, and adjudges whether we’re leaving the house looking like the fairest of them all? Indeed, a clean and fixed-up bathroom mirror makes a spell of a difference.

That said, buying a bathroom mirror and following a maintenance routine for it need not be dull, difficult, or too heavy on your wallet. In fact, furnishing your bathroom with a new mirror—thereby sprucing the room up for you and your guests—is all a matter of choosing the right mirror type, putting the mirror in the right position, and cleaning the mirror surfaces efficiently as needed. For your convenience, here’s a quick list of “pro-tips” for buying, affixing, and cleaning a new bathroom mirror.

What Type of Mirror Will Work Best?

Whether you’re looking for a stylish and decadent mirror to upgrade the whole look of your bathroom, or something more fuss-free and utilitarian, it would help to consider buying along these factors:

• Budget: How much are you willing to spend on your new mirror? How many of one type of mirror can you afford? Decide on your budget for any one mirror, and don’t be afraid to shell out for something of good quality if you’ll be using it for a long time.
• Size: How big a mirror do you need? Are you looking for a standard-sized plane mirror, or a body-length implement that you can affix to the wall? Decide on a type of mirror that will maximize the limited space it will take up in your bathroom.
• Placement: Where are you going to place the mirror? Will you hang it above the sink, mount it on the wall, or furnish your vanity countertop with it? Get a sense of where you’re going to place the mirror in a way that will make it easy to clean and reposition as needed.

• Framing: What kind of frame do you want on your mirror, a simple frame or elegant frame? Does it require a stand? For a custom bathroom mirror, do ask your local serviceman to trim the edges of the frame if it needs any modification. There’s nothing wrong about buying a simple round or rectangular mirror, however—the minimalist kind without any sharp edges or protrusions is also the safest kind around children.
• Material: What kind of material should your new mirror be made out of? Think about whether or not you’d like to invest in tempered glass material, which will minimize the likelihood of injury in case it breaks. You might also opt for a mold-resistant frame to come with your mirror if you live in a wetter, more humid climate.

Choosing, and Using, the Right Cleaning Tools

Once you’ve affixed the mirror to its rightful place in your bathroom, all it will take to keep it spick and span are a few inexpensive tools and a little elbow grease.

We recommend having nothing more than glass cleaner and a microfiber towel around to finish the task for you. Using a microfiber towel to remove surface debris will be easier and much more efficient than using a squeegee, which could leave its own mess trail on the mirror’s surface if used improperly.

When it’s time to clean your mirror, spray one thin layer of cleaning solution from top to bottom. To remove any remaining stickers or labels, spray a little solution over them and gently push the edges off with a plastic scraper.  Then wipe thoroughly until the mirror’s surface is gleaming once again.

That’s all there is to it. Asking “mirror, mirror on the bathroom wall” will yield a quick answer to who is the fairest, cleanest, and hardiest of them all.