Bathroom Mirror DIY Quick Fix

You may have seen on cleaning products to spray cleaners onto a lint free rag or towel prior to cleaning the mirror, rather than spraying the cleaner directly on the mirror. The reason why this is very important is that you do not want to get the cleaner behind the mirror. In other words, if you choose to spray the cleaner directly on the mirror, do NOT spray it anywhere close the edges where it might possibly get behind the mirror. The reason why the cleaner should not go behind the mirror is that it could potentially cause "desilvering" where the silvering on the back of the mirror may ruin quicker than it normally would. This will cause the mirror to have a "bad spot" on it, and if large enough of an area, will be funny looking and even possibly show as a black spot in that area. In other words, to protect the lifespan of your mirror, do not let cleaning products (or even water) get behind your mirror.

Now your wheels are probably turning in your head with thinking about your bathroom mirror sitting right on the back splash with your sink directly in front of it. Or you might be thinking about all of the water that the kids manage to get on the mirror when they are brushing their teeth. If you have had a mirror installed by Speedway Glass, you are covered in this department. However, if you have not, this can be an easy DIY fix that will take less than five minutes and cost less than $10 (should be less than $5).

Simply purchase silicone caulk or a polyseam seal caulk at your local hardware store (you can get mirror/glass specific as well, and it is best to ask the knowledgeable staff at the store what you should use since there are tons of choices when it comes to caulk). Take the caulk and apply a 1/8" to 1/4" bead of it where the back splash and mirror meet. Apply a small amount of pressure and do not let the caulk make it to the back of the mirror.

It is always best to use caution because you do not want to have to replace the mirror down the road because some caulking ate away at the silvering. You can tidy up the caulk job with your finger or a rag, and you should be able to easily clean up any messes once it dries. This will prevent water from getting behind your mirror at the bottom.

Please note that it is best to do this when you are sure that the back of the mirror is dry, so try not to get water close to it for at least 24 hours prior to caulking it. If you are able to remove your mirror easily, take it down and make sure that it is dry (both mirror, wall, and where the mirror sits on the back splash), place it back up, and then caulk the area.

Other notes about caulking this area include:

Do not use latex caulk, there is something about it that has caused mirrors to go bad on occasion. Many people use polyseam seal, and there are certain types of silicones that work well also. You can never be too careful which is why the free resource of the hardware store employee is priceless.

If you are having a new mirror installed in this type of placement, make sure to ask the glass company to take care of the caulking if they have not done so prior to them leaving your home. Most glass companies (including Speedway Glass) do not charge extra for this service.



With your mirror now being caulked, you will have a longer lifespan of your mirror's silvering.