The Clever Toothpaste Hack That Prevents Bathroom Mirrors From Fogging Up

After showering, you might try to use the bathroom mirror only to face a foggy fixture. Foggy mirrors are common complaints in bathrooms, and they develop as a result of warm water vapor from the air transforming into condensation after it interacts with the cooler surface of the glass. While letting steam escape is usually the easiest approach to this problem, not every bathroom has a window or vent to pull moisture. Removing excess moisture is still important in preventing bathroom mold and mildew. However, if a foggy mirror in particular remains your perpetual nemesis, it may be time to utilize other strategies to combat this problem directly. One possible tool might actually be sitting on your bathroom counter underneath that foggy mirror of yours: a tube of toothpaste.

Little did you know that the tool you need to help brush your teeth (hopefully twice a day!) might also be useful for addressing that annoying foggy mirror in your bathroom. When applied to the mirror's surface, toothpaste may leave behind a small amount of film that acts as a barrier between the glass and water vapor to prevent fog. While there are commercial anti-fogging products you can buy for this very purpose, the toothpaste hack can save money as well as space from having to purchase and store multiple items around your bathroom. More importantly, you may save yourself time from having to deal with post-shower mirror fogginess. The toothpaste hack can also work in a pinch if you need to prevent a foggy mirror ASAP due to unexpected issues with ventilation in your bathroom.

Not only is the toothpaste hack for preventing foggy bathroom mirrors relatively inexpensive, but the strategy itself is also pretty simple to execute. First, squeeze out a small amount of toothpaste into your hand. Apply the product directly onto the mirror with your fingers, and spread it evenly along the glass surface with a microfiber cloth. Take a separate damp cloth and remove the toothpaste from the mirror using small circular motions. Once the process is complete, you can then run the shower like normal and hopefully be greeted with a fog-free mirror afterward.

The key to success here is to apply the toothpaste before you take a warm bath or shower. Waiting until water vapor has already condensed on the mirror and fogged up the glass doesn't do much good from a preventive standpoint. Applying toothpaste to the mirror after bathing will only waste the product and cause more frustration with trying to remove condensation from the mirror. You also don't necessarily have to reapply the toothpaste before every shower, but you will need to redo the process every few days to maintain the defogging effects.