The #1 Way to Clean a Bathroom Mirror, According to an Expert

Stylish bathroom interior with vessel sink and round mirror with steam and sparkles overlaid
Stylish bathroom interior with vessel sink and round mirror with steam and sparkles overlaid

Adobe Stock / New Africa /

Whether you're dutifully going through the motions of your usual bathroom deep clean or scrubbing at stray water spots on your bathroom mirror, you probably have a go-to routine when it comes to cleaning the most used mirror in your house. Maybe you pick up a bottle of Windex or your own vinegar-alcohol mixture, or maybe you wipe it down with some pre-packaged wipes.

But according to Lori, the creator behind @nowitsclean on Instagram and TikTok, there's one mirror-cleaning strategy that we've been ignoring.

In a new reel, Lori reveals that her secret to eco-friendly, product-free mirror cleaning requires just one ingredient: steam. She uses her Bissell SteamShot (buy it: $36, Amazon) to cover her mirror in a layer of steamy condensation, running it back and forth across the surface until it's white all over. Then she simply wipes the mirror down with a lint-free microfiber cloth, like one from this pack (buy it: $13, Amazon). (Don't try to use your standard hand towel here—you'll just end up with lots of streaks.)

We're inclined to trust Lori on this one, since she's usually ahead of the game when it comes to #cleantok trends, whether she has new tricks for TikTok's favorite mop or a simple solution to clean your bathroom in minutes.

If you tend to take steamy showers, you could always leave a lint-free cloth on the counter, then wipe the mirror down when you come out. In her Instagram stories, Lori noted that you may get a couple of streaks when you start wiping the water and steam away, but you can buff them out by going over the area again. If you'd prefer to have a good cleaning product on hand, she suggests Sprayway glass cleaner (buy it: $12 for two, Amazon), which has racked up a 4.8-star rating on Amazon. According to reviewers, the cleaner is practically streak-proof.

For folks who also have glass shower doors in the bathroom, Lori warned in her story that the steaming method probably won't do the trick on shower doors, since they need near-daily maintenance. If you need to deep-clean your shower doors, she suggests using a mixture of dish soap and vinegar, then scrubbing the door down and rinsing with warm water. Then she uses the Sprayway cleaner to get a shiny finish.

We'll definitely be checking out this easy method for cleaning up our bathroom mirrors, whether that means getting out the steamer or indulging in a long shower—but preferably the latter.