Comments on: How to Clean Black Spots on Mirrors

By: DinahD

DinahD — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 05:34:04 +0000

I agree with the above comment. There is a product called “Wink” that is an acid, and it is sold in grocery stores to remove rust and blood stains from clothes. It will etch glass and porcelain,and react with other metals, so it is to be used with some caution, and you will want to wear rubber gloves. I used it to remove the silver form mirrors to MAKE them look old for my artwork as an artist. If the person with the question wants to remove the spots they could use this, judiciously, by placing drops on top of the black spots, letting them sit for a few hours and then just wash off. As it works it will start to bubble up as the reaction takes place. This can be sped up by using a blow dryer, but you will want to work with it flat so it doesn’t run down the glass. It will leave a transparent glass, which may be somewhat dulled by etching. It may have to be repeated if the silver is newer and very thick, as in the more expensive ones made today. Then just take a small piece of a mirror and glue to the back where the spots were. This would be a lot easier than replacing the whole back of the mirror with one the same size. The Wink will etch the glass so you have to keep your eye on it. As you see the silver coming off, wash it off right away. Even if it does etch the glass, it will not show so much if you put the mirror behind it. Silver in mirrors is not poisonous, by the way. Such an idea is ridiculous, but it is very valuable however.

By: AlaskaLass

AlaskaLass — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:01:20 +0000

If your mirror is an antique with any value, leave it alone! If you “repair” the aging by removing the silvering and end up with a like-new mirror you have probably ruined the value. Same thing with sticking doo-dads over the spots. If you decide to go ahead, check and see if there is any value to the frame, too. Even if the frame only has decorative value, t’s very easy to spoil a nice frame, so be careful.

By: MirrorGuy

MirrorGuy — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 14:17:20 +0000

This post if very misleading in that there is NO product at ANY home improvement store that will be labeled for removing the silver from a mirror. If you don’t believe me, do a search on the Home Depot, Lowes, or Ace Hardware sites and see for yourself. Mirror silvering is deposited onto glass via the silver nitrate precipitation method. The only way to remove it is through and acid-reduction reaction. The only products available to consumers that will do this are Sno-ball toilet cleaner or Muriatic Acid (available in pool supply stores). Both are very caustic and can cause severe burns and blindness if you are not careful in wearing eye, skin, and breathing protection. Yes, a do-it-yourselfer can do this project if they have very good ventilation, but do not let this post mislead you into thinking it is as easy as spraying on and wiping off some non-hazardous mystery product that doesn’t exist.