Cleaning glass and mirrors to make your home shine from the inside out

Most homes have a considerable number of glass surfaces and mirrors. But a few household items and a little elbow grease are all that is needed to keep them all clean.

They attract dust, dirt, and scratches and every touch leaves a fingerprint. But when your mirrors and glass surfaces gleam, it can make your whole house sparkle. Take charge and keep your glass surfaces and mirrors looking their best.

Don't fear the foggy streak-marked mirror; keep these fixes at the ready and you have no need to worry.

• Keep mirrors gleaming with warm water and vinegar. Combine 250 millilitres (one cup) of white vinegar with one litre (quart) of warm water and rub on the mirror with a soft cloth. Use crumpled newspaper to wipe the mixture away in slow circles. Presto! No streaks.
• Clean a mirror by rubbing it with a potato cut in half, then rinsing with water and polishing. The bonus: it will keep bathroom fog at bay, too.
• Keep mirrors clean without leaving streaks by wiping them with cool, strong black tea, then drying them off with a chamois cloth.
• Wipe your mirror with a little rubbing alcohol to give it a nice lustre after polishing. Rubbing alcohol also removes sticky film from hairspray.
• De-fog your mirror with a blow-dryer after a shower. A quick blast should clear up the problem.
• Prevent mirrors from fogging up by coating them with shaving cream or toothpaste and wiping them dry with a clean towel before showering.
• Avoid dulling mirrors by positioning them away from direct sunlight.
• Remove hairspray on mirrors by wiping them with a solution of clarifying shampoo and water, then rinsing and drying them.

Keeping glass clean can be intimidating, especially if you have a lot of it (or kids) in your home. But it can be done! Here's how:

• Keep glass tabletops shining like new by wiping them with lemon juice, drying with paper towels, then polishing them with newspaper.
• Polish away small scratches in glass surfaces with a little toothpaste.
• Remove dried-on flyspecks by wiping them with ammonia and water.
• Fill a sharp chip in a glass surface by covering the edge with a thick layer of clear nail polish.
• Dust glass television and computer screen, then clean by moistening a damp cloth with a little rubbing alcohol, then wiping and polishing the screen. Remember to read the owner's manual first to avoid causing any damage.
• Clean flat screen monitors and television screen with a dry, soft microfibre cloth (the kind you use to clean your glasses) and gently wipe the screen. If that doesn't completely remove the dirt or oil, don't respond by scrubbing; pushing directly on the screen can burn out the pixels. Instead, dampen your cloth with distilled water and white vinegar (in a ratio of 1:1) and try again.