FYI, Using a Newspaper to Clean Your Mirrors Is Way More Effective Than a Paper Towel

Wondering why you can't ever manage to get a streak-free shine when cleaning your mirrors? Rather than using the wrong cleaning product, you may be using the wrong tool for wiping that product away. Though it may sound crazy, cleaning mirrors with newspaper sheets is actually insanely effective and will leave your reflective surfaces much clearer than paper towels will. We know, you probably think we're nuts, but there's actually a good reason why this works so well.

Just like paper towels, newspapers are super absorbent. While magazine paper contains material called sizing that makes it water-repellent, newspaper has little-to-no sizing so that it can absorb the ink that gets printed on it, as well as any other liquids. Unlike paper towels, newspaper sheets have a denser fibre and grittier texture that allow them to act as a light abrasive, wiping away grime on your mirrors as well as liquid. Paper towels also tend to leave behind little pieces of residue, making your mirror look even grimier.

Won't the ink from the newspaper rub off on the mirror, you ask? Nope! Because glass is a slick, non-porous surface, the ink won't adhere to it like it might on a porous surface, such as paper or wood. Also, according to The Daily Reporter, more than 90 percent of US papers switched from petroleum-based ink — which caused staining and smearing — to the smear-free (and less expensive) alternative of soy-based ink by 2000.

Other benefits to using newspaper sheets over paper towels: they're inexpensive, easy to obtain, and recyclable, so you can say goodbye to waste. The most effective way to utilise the newspaper sheets is to mix vinegar and water for your cleaning solution, and then use the newspaper to clean the glass as you would with a paper towel.