spencer fitzgerald - ds 224 - fall 2020

Mirrors, known for their highly reflective quality, are used across the globe in a variety of settings. In ancient times, people used highly polished obsidian stones as mirrors. As technology advanced, gold, silver, and aluminum to create mirrors in a similar manner they used the obsidian stone. In about 1600 AD, an early silvering process was introduced, which remains the most popular method to make mirrors to this day. It's after this time that the popularity of mirrors soared not only for personal use but also for scientific applications, such as the reflecting telescope. 

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Today, mirrors are produced by silvering, or applying a thin layer of reflective metal (typically silver or aluminum) to a sheet of glass. While not inherently as reflective as many metals, glass is used for mirrors for its transparency, hardness, and ability to take on a smooth finish. It is very important that the glass is polished to perfection so that the reflected image isn't distorted in any way.

Mirror Houses by Peter Pichler Architecture

In terms of maintenance, mirrors are relatively easy to maintain. Mirrors can be wiped with an alcohol-based cleaner using a lint-free cloth. It's recommended that the cleaner is applied to the cloth and not directly onto the surface of the mirror. Never clean a mirror with abrasives, steel wool, acid or alkali, or vinegar. Avoid cleaners that contain ammonia, chlorine bleach, powdered cleansers, dirty or gritty rags. 

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Mirrors are considered to be an overall sustainable material. Mirrors are made from glass, which is a green material, and today non-toxic metals are typically used in the silvering process. One of the main benefits of mirrors can be to significantly reduce the amount of artificial light in a space by reflecting existing light. However, this practice isn't extremely common as 

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ASTM C162 for glass and glass products

ASTM C1503 for silver flat glass mirrors

ASTM C1256 for glass fracture surface features

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National Glass Association

Glass Manufacturing Industry Council