How to Remove Stickers From a Mirror Without Damaging It

Some stickers peel off a smooth surface, such as a mirror, with ease, but more often than not, stickers and price tags prove to be tricky to remove. Even if you manage to remove the outer layer, a stubborn, sticky residue is left behind, ruining the appearance of the mirror. It's tempting to improvise with sharp tools to scrape and scratch away a sticker or its residue, but doing so can damage a mirror. Instead, use one of several common household products to loosen the adhesive and a safer tool to scrape or wipe away the sticky residue. There are several effective methods to consider.

Before turning to liquid products and solvents to loosen a sticker from a mirror, try applying heat to it with a hair dryer. Use a high setting and point the hair dryer at the sticker for a minute or two. Ideally, the heat will soften the adhesive enough to let you scrape the sticker off the mirror. Immediately after applying the heat, use a putty knife, silicone scraper or old credit card to scrape the sticker off the surface of the mirror. You can also use a razor blade, but take extra care not to scratch the mirror or touch the sharp edge with your fingers.

As you scrape, pull off the loosened pieces of sticker with your fingers. If the heating and scraping method works and you are able to remove the sticker, clean up any remaining residue with a soft cloth dampened with either soapy water, white vinegar or window cleaner. If the heat isn't sufficient to loosen the adhesive, move on to an alternative method.

Hot, soapy water is often effective at removing stickers from mirrors. Fill a sink or bowl with hot water and add a dash of dish soap. Use a sponge, soft cloth or paper towel soaked with the hot, soapy water to saturate the sticker. Let the sticker soak for a few minutes, which should loosen the adhesive. Scrape the sticker off the mirror using a putty knife, silicone scraper or an old credit card or use a razor blade very carefully. Clean up any sticky residue left behind with more soapy water, white vinegar or window cleaner and a soft cloth.

If a more aggressive solution is needed to remove a sticker from a mirror, use the soapy water method but substitute one of several common household solvents. Saturate the sticker with white vinegar, rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover. You can spray these products on the sticker, apply them with a cloth or soak a paper towel in the solvent and place it over the sticker for a few minutes. Any of these solvents should loosen the adhesive enough to let you easily scrape away the sticker. Clean the mirror after removing the sticker.

If the mirror has a wooden, plastic or other type of frame, be careful to keep any solvent drips away from the frame, as they might damage it. Also take care not to let the solvent drip onto the floor or other surfaces.

Consider using a commercial adhesive removal product, such as WD-40 or Goo Gone. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to apply the product to the sticker, let it soak in and then scrape away the sticker. After using any of these products, clean the mirror with soapy water and bring it back to a shine with vinegar or window cleaner.