Does shaving cream really prevent mirrors from fogging up? -Bob Mansion

Photo: unsplash.com

It's no secret that the TikTok algorithm knows your interests pretty well, and as the publisher of BobVila.com, that means my feed is full of cleaning content. #CleanTok, as the niche interest is dubbed on TikTok, joins people who are putting supplies into aesthetic storage, sharing reviews of the most popular cleaners , and using clumps of products to show off their favorite cleaning tricks.

So far, I've only been an observer of these oddly satisfying videos. When it comes to cleaning, I've stuck with trusted brands and classic cleaners like vinegar and baking soda . But after reviewing the promises of simple hacks and amazing results, I decided it was time to put #CleanTok to the test.

The mirror trick with shaving cream

As a #CleanTok lover, I was just ready to dive into the world. I wanted to try a gimmick that had the usual elements of the genre: unconventional, extreme, and rewarding, but it wouldn't break me further if it turned into a disaster.

As I was watching intense deep cleaning videos and crazy tips, I came across one that said "3 House Cleaning Hacks With Shaving Cream". With a catchy pop song playing in the background, I watched a woman hand-buff shaving cream on a mirror for a streak-free shine, smear it on an implement to remove fingerprints and polish a diamond ring to prevent tarnishing . I don't have any stainless steel appliances or jewelry to shine, but my bathroom mirror needed cleaning. I searched "shaving foam cleaning hacks" to see if anyone else was using this cosmetic item on their mirror, and sure enough, there was! I found my cleaning hack to try.

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Let's do this

In all the videos I've seen, the most used traditional shaving cream. I had some shaving gel on hand but bought a box of regular shaving cream for a fair experience. I would use the gel on one half of the mirror and the cream on the other half. In some videos people apply the shaving cream with a microfiber cloth , in others they spread it with their hands; Again, I would try both methods.

Photo: Katie Nolan

Many #CleanTok videos feature people using excessive amounts of product. Although I'm usually more cautious, this seemed like an opportunity to go a little crazy. I put a scoop of golf gel on the cloth, which then got bigger; It was way more than I needed. Knowing it was too much, I went ahead and applied it to the mirror. I left about a third of the mirror intact to control the defog component.

I then switched to regular shaving cream and sprayed it directly onto my hand. I tried to learn from my previous mistake of using too much with the gel but ended up having too much. I went ahead and smeared it onto the mirror in a circular motion.

Since the mirror was almost covered in shaving cream, I grabbed a clean microfiber towel to wipe it all down. In the videos it looked like people were using the same cloth they apply shaving cream with, but mine was too messy. It took a few minutes longer than the videos shown, but I put that down to using too much product. The shaving gel side left a fuzzy layer that took a little more work to buff off, but eventually dissipated. Before judging, I turned on the shower and let the room fill with steam to see what would happen.

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Did the shaving cream trick work?

So I ended up with a shiny, fog-free mirror? Well yes and no. My mirror definitely looked cleaner than when I started, but it didn't look any better than it did with Windex. However, the trick prevented the mirror from fogging up. When the bathroom filled with steam, the part without shaving foam immediately became cloudy, while the other part remained almost transparent.

Which shaving cream worked best? Classic shaving cream was the way to go. The side with it never had to be polished, looked cleaner and didn't tarnish at all.

Photo: Katie Nolan

final thoughts

While this TikTok hack wasn't a complete flop, I'm not ready to add it to my cleaning routine. Using shaving cream was trickier than a spray cleanser, and the results were less impressive. Although this prevented fogging, this is not a problem for me. It's a good alternative when you're in a hurry and don't have your usual cleaner on hand. Overall, it was a good foray into #CleanTok and inspired me to tackle some of the app's other cleaning trends.

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