Whether you buy framed mirrors online or pick up an antique mirror from a vintage store, black spots on the mirror’s corner or edges are bound to occur thanks to "mirror rot" or desilvering (you may have seen us cover the topic before on an earlier post). Silver nitrate is the responsible component for transforming plain glass to mirrors, and it's safeguarded from damage with a copper-sulfate protective coating. Paint sealants also provide extra protection for the mirror’s back. But when these protective coatings are exposed to various elements, including air, moisture and cleaning solutions, dark spots appear or “desilvers.” Desilvering occurs thanks to the oxidation of the silver nitrate and copper sulfate, which is caused by the condensed moisture from splashes of water and other elements on the edge of the mirror. While these black spots are repairable, mirror restoration or “resilvering” requires professional help. It can be problematic because professional restoration services can be pricey and can involve the use of chemicals that are toxic to you and your environment. The good news is you can take preventative and eco-friendly restorative measures to keep mirror black spots at bay.
Here’s how:
Take Precautions
Take preventative measures from creating a black spot-prone environment for your bathroom mirror. Be careful when washing your hands or face or brushing your teeth next to the mirror, and keep water in the sink as much as possible. Dry off the edges of your mirror if it comes in contact with moisture.
Replace the Mirror
This is the easiest way to “fix” the problem of black spots with mirrors. While it’s eco-friendly since you’re not indulging in resilvering services, it’s not always wallet-friendly or emotionally feasible if you're fixated on having that one particular mirror. Frame My Mirror now offers fully framed and LED mirrors online now!
Use a Custom Frame
One of the simplest ways to fix black spots is to hide them. You can achieve this by adding a new frame to the mirror. There are a lot of options for framing mirrors that can be found online, but none as safe and affordable as Frame My Mirror’s Add A Frame®. Because the black spots are limited to just a few inches from the mirror’s edge, using custom framed mirrors for bathrooms provides an easy way to hide those black spots while aesthetically enhancing your bathroom mirror sans toxic chemicals. You can also use custom framed mirrors bathroom kits that come with guides on how to frame your bathroom mirror.
Final Thoughts
Although black or dark spots can appear on your bathroom mirrors, it doesn’t have to be a costly or chemically concocted fix. Take preventative measures to keep it from happening. Even if it does, you can still use chemical-free options by just replacing the actual mirror or using a custom frame.