Why is my bathroom mirror turning black?

Can you see dark spots in your mirror? Do you have black rust-like stains on your mirror? Mirrors often develop dark spots around the edges or in the middle due to damage to the silver backing from moisture.

What causes the mirror to discolour?

Desilvering often occurs in mirrors placed in bathrooms as they are exposed to a high level of moisture, the water can seep into the silver backing. Moisture breaks down the bond between the glass and the backing product causing the silver layer to chip off leaving the mirror with black spots or edges wherever the silver layer is damaged.

This can also break down due to age, incorrect glass cleaners, or faulty manufacturing.

How to prevent desilvering?

1. One way is to limit splashing water over the bathroom mirror to protect them from excessive exposure to water.
2. Dry off the edges of the mirror after you brush your teeth or wash your face.
3. You can also keep a dehumidifier in your bathroom as it can help to control the moisture level in your bathroom.
4. If the mirror is at a low height, consider changing the location of the mirror so the splashes are restricted especially when you brush or wash your face.

What to do if your mirror is desilvering?

Framing

If the mirror has dark spots on the edge you can install a customised frame over the damage. However, this won’t fix the problem and the silver backing will continue to fall away.

Resilvering

The process of resilvering allows you to restore the mirror to its original appearance. However, it is rare to find a resilvering service.

A few reasons why resilvering is not recommended are due to its cost and time. The mirror may also get damaged during the transport and shipping process. As a result, resilvering may not be a feasible option for many. Consider resilvering if you have an antique mirror or if it holds sentimental value. But if the mirror doesn’t have any sentimental value, why waste time and money on desilvering when you can get a custom-cut mirror glass replacement for a fraction of the time and cost?

Replacing the mirror

If your mirror is not valuable, the best and most affordable option is to replace the mirror with a new one.

At Glass One, we can custom cut and replace your mirror with brand new mirror glass. We also apply an additional coating to help avoid black spots and last you for decades to come!