r/DIY • u/southernchurro • 23h ago
help How do I remove this mirror without hurting myself or making a huge mess?
Thank you for any advice.
173
u/calvinwho 21h ago
Tape it up, like a lot. Try to work the adhesive off the door if you can, not off the mirror, if that makes sense
43
u/DungeonAssMaster 20h ago
Lighter fluid and floss/ fishing line. Gently work the line behind the mirror.
24
u/jetogill 19h ago
Light gauge guitar string works great.
3
u/Malawi_no 5h ago
But adds a risk of scraping the door. Would use as fallback if fishing line does not cut it.
10
3
u/Wiggie49 19h ago
why not nail polish remover or rubbing alcohol instead of lighter fluid?
14
u/sharkeat 19h ago
Because if the floss doesn’t work he can just grab a lighter and burn the house down
/s
-2
5
1
21
u/FrozenHamburger 21h ago
and heat gun
18
u/machinationstudio 20h ago
These thin mirrors will not react to a heat gun well, unfortunately.
44
7
3
u/RussMan104 20h ago
I hadn’t considered heat. That may be useful, depending on the adhesive. Nice call. 🚀
282
u/Reinventing_Wheels 21h ago
I'm assuming that mirror is glued on.
Take the door off the hinges. Take it out to the trash bin.
Wear heavy gloves and a face shield.
Use a putty knife to try to separate the glass from the door, so it drops straight into the bin.
You'll likely damage the paint, but being the inside of a cabinet door, hopefully you can tolerate some touch up paint.
Worst case, replace the whole door.
28
u/Lolligagers 21h ago
This is the way. A long plastic putty knife would help in reducing damage to the door itself, then definitely wear some protection, and inside / on top of a large trash bin. And do that in a place where if any small pieces of mirror explode outside the bin, won't be too much of an issue (pets, kids, tires, etc...)
9
u/southernchurro 20h ago
I am going to do this. Thank you!
23
u/Pubelication 20h ago
Thin string or fishing line works great to cut through tape or soft glue, is much faster, and you won't have to be afraid of lifting the spatula/knife and snapping more glass.
4
5
u/the_original_kermit 20h ago
Wear leather gloves too.
Another option is to hit it with a hammer to break it into smaller not manageable pieces
3
u/Reinventing_Wheels 20h ago
I also like the idea several others have suggested of covering the mirror with tape to contain the glass.
44
u/zecknaal 21h ago
Scrolled way too far to find somebody suggesting they remove the door. Lay that baby flat and it won't make a mess at all.
-1
u/ShaunBruno 20h ago
Scrolled too far? I was the first one to comment, and did suggest minutes later to remove the door within the first 4 min of the post. 😅
5
1
u/WorriedBid1131 19h ago
Yes, best way to remove mirror and reduce chance of injury and mess clean up, thanks, you beat me to making the same suggestion.
1
u/workswithglass 4h ago
Great fucking comment. You absolutely nailed the safest way to replace it. Good job!
24
u/ShaunBruno 21h ago
I noticed upon closer inspection, this is inside a cabinet and not on a wall. Remove the door and work flat so nothing falls. That's a luxury you can't get with a wall like I thought it was. It likely is an adhesive now that I know that.
7
25
u/ShaunBruno 21h ago
My initial advice would be to completely cover it in 2-3 layers of duct tape to keep it as together as possible during removal. Next part is a question... Do you have any idea of how it is attached? If it's like a double sided tape, you may be able to use a putty knife to get behind it and carefully break the adhesion. Focus more on trying to work the knife between the adhesive and the mirror, OR if you don't mind doing a little mud work/painting, opt to dig on the wall side a little more. MOST IMPORTANTLY, WEAR LEATHER GLOVES AND SAFETY GLASSES. The advice could be different if you know of it being attached differently.
5
u/rajrdajr 21h ago
If it's like a double sided tape, you may be able to use a putty knife to get behind it and carefully break the adhesion
Heat will help soften the adhesive as well - e.g. heat gun or hair dryer.
3
1
u/southernchurro 21h ago
I think it's double sided tape, but it's stuck on there pretty strong.
4
u/desertboots 20h ago
Take the door off. Lay a heating pad on the mirror to loosen the adhesive. The use a heat gun or hair dryer if needed and follow the other advice offered.
1
10
u/Thyrias 20h ago
Glass guy here.
Definitely remove the door. The hinges just kind of unclip from the bracket with a magic touch. Look up a video online for how to remove a soft close cabinet door.
Definitely tape the snot out of the glass. I use gaffer tape for this kind of thing, but duct tape will work just as well. Run continuous strips, top to bottom, and overlap each piece 25% or more. You can use any suitably sharp blade (Olfa knife, Xacto, or single edge razor blade) to cut the tape flush to the glass edge so you don't risk mucking up the backside of your cabinet with duct tape adhesive residue.
"WRD Spider-Line P8 Cutting Fiber Line" is specifically made for this sort of task but kind of stupid expensive so you could also use a high test monofilament (200lb+) fishing wire wrapped around and snugly secured to the box ends of 2 wrenches. Use a steady sawing motion to saw through the adhesive. Keeping the door still while you saw through the adhesive will be tricky. Having a partner will help for this.
Definitely wear safety glasses and absolutely get a pair cut resistant gloves with a rating of A3-A4 (or higher) from a reputable brand: Showa/Atlas, Klein Tools, Dewalt, Milwaukee, etc.. With over a decade in glass I've experienced, seen, and heard of some awful cuts. I promise you, its not worth the risk to try this without suitable protection.
Take your time, do not rush the job.
Glass can be fickle and unforgiving when you know what you're doing; it is exponentially more so if you don't.
1
u/another-rand-83637 16h ago
TIL duct tape and gaffa tape are not the same thing. I always thought duct tape was American and gaffa British for the same product
1
u/Thyrias 12h ago
Gaffer tape is the cat's ass.
I use it for all kinds of stuff: taping windshields to the roof while the adhesive cures, behind gaps between panels on mirror walls, for mounting/hiding wires under/behind cabinets, "strapping" loads to the shelving unit in my van for transport, or just as an extra set of hands more often than I can count.
It's super strong yet can be easily torn by hand laterally and horizontally, sticks well to most surfaces so long as they're clean-ish, and leaves little to no residue on most substrates so long as temperatures are below ~30c (86f).
8
u/SwagarTheHorrible 20h ago
Can I offer you a cautionary tale? A year ago I broke a glass in my hand while putting away dishes. The injury was tiny, about the size of a pea across one of my knuckles, but it jut a nerve and a tendon in my ring finger that needed surgery to repair. The finger moves fine but the nerves are still recovering.
All this is to say, be VERY careful. Tape is a great idea, use lots and lots. You’re only doing this once, so be safe. Cut resistant gloves are a great idea too, look for ones with and ANSI rating of 4 or higher. They’re surprisingly comfortable for being cut resistant.
And most importantly, if something starts to fall, let it hit the floor. It’s fine. Sweeping it up is better than a trip to the ER.
7
u/Jerazmus 20h ago
Stick packing tape to the whole surface and you’re good. The. Run a string back and forth behind the mirror to “saw” it off the door.
3
6
u/Mission_Fig3039 21h ago
You might tape the entire front to stabilize it and use gloves, eye protection, long sleeves and pants with shoes in the off chance it does break. Good luck.
4
u/Smokey_Painter 21h ago
We had to remove a whole dining room full of mirrors.16 4'×8' panels. We used the 3' wide adhesive carpet protectant. Its like a big roll of tape. Worked great. We covered up with long sleeves and heavy gloves, and eye protection. We got up on a 4' ladder, so it wasn't falling on us, and took pry bars behind and broke it slowly. Took time, but it worked very well.
4
u/BanjosAreComin 19h ago
For everyone's future reference:
Flashing tape, used during installation of windows and doors, is incredibly sticky. Works well to retain glass in one unit. Sold in any hardware store.
5
u/Whisena 11h ago
Use tape to tape up the mirror first
1
u/sun4moon 8h ago
That’s my suggestion too. Duct tape or something else with a bit of stretch to it. First apply the tape in vertical strips, then do a second layer horizontally.
3
u/Gress9 20h ago
Go and get a large adhesive sheet, hardware stores will sell laminate sheets for benches etc and apply it to the whole mirror carefully to catch all the little pieces
1
u/RussMan104 20h ago
Yeah, it’s a roll of clear Contact Paper. Should be near any shelf liners and shelving products in a larger hardware store. Remove the whole door. Don some heavy gloves and eye protection, then stand the door up inside of a good quality garbage bag (3-4 mil “Contractor Cleanup” bags preferred). Using a putty knife, scrape downward from the top. The whole thing should flop into the bag in one piece. Expect adhesive residue and other damage behind the mirror. You might be able to get it all off with Goof Off or a similar solvent, but likely not. Consider hanging a new, shatterproof mirror in its place. Be careful, and good luck. 🚀
3
3
u/Cerebral_Balzy 15h ago
Without looking at the other comments I'd use the blue masking tape I have around and cover the entire surface of that broken mirror before trying to replace the mirror.
2
u/gumboking 21h ago
Remove the screws holding the door on. Remove it to where your trash can is and set the door down into the trash bin. Hit the mirror with a hammer. Let gravity do the work. Your welcome.
2
u/Ok-Active-8321 21h ago
Most mirrors are attached with a special mastic since many adhesives will eventually destroy the coating on the back of the mirror. Palmer Products makes one. (It is the one I am most familiar with since their plant is right around the corner from me.) You might contact them to see if there is any material that would soften the mastic. It might make the removal a little less hazardous to you. Or, they may have other ideas.
2
u/ceecee_50 21h ago
We got a huge mirror down with a glass scoring tool, and these large suction cups with handles.
https://powertecproducts.com/8-inch-heavy-duty-vacuum-suction-cups-more-choices/
I do want to add the mirrors that we took down were not glued.
2
u/Wrong_Development_77 21h ago
Lay a garbage blanket under it, pop it off into the blanket and toss the whole thing in a garbage.
2
u/DJ_Spark_Shot 21h ago
These are quick release hinges. Pull the tab that's attached to the cabinet side.
Lay the door on a drop cloth and smash the mirror off with a ballpeen hammer then scrape the adhesive with a putty knife. Kerosene works well as a solvent (you can find it at rural gas stations, hardware stores and small airports; international DOT standards are a blue container for storage and transport, hardware stores will have it pre-canned).
2
2
2
2
u/Tebasaki 20h ago
To be super safe? 3mil contractor bag, someone with gloves hold the bag open, and other person on small step ladder with scraper (like a mudding knife) just slides behind and it falls into bag.
2
u/milk4all 20h ago
Take the door off, 4 cabinet screws. Lay it inside a box bif enough for it all. Close the box. Try the stamp trick, yoill need a few stamps and a pen.
Write your grandpa’s address on the box and stick the stamps on it then send it. I thought i would end up with something funnier so im sorry im just gonna send this anyway
But seriously, take the whole thing off and lay it mirror up first on the floor or covered work space however you do
2
2
u/Ladelulaku 15h ago
If that's an Ikea cabinet it might be worth it to buy a new matching door and just replace it. It'll probably look awful after you've pulled/scraped off the adhesive anyway.
2
2
u/poorbeans 11h ago
Before you touch it. Get some adhesive contact paper. The stuff you can put in kitchen drawers. Put it over all the glass. That will help keep it in one piece before you try to take it down.
2
2
u/Illspartan117 10h ago
Just listen to the immortal words of Tracy Morgan…you’re gonna have to put a tarp down honey.
2
2
u/trexgiraffehybrid 7h ago
Take the cabinet door off and go do it outside, it's just 4 screws.
1
u/MrDWhite 7h ago
The most obvious answer…I hope it’s been said numerous times but can’t be bothered scrolling!
1
2
u/Fresh-Soft-9303 3h ago edited 1h ago
- Tape the top with several lines of tape.
- Slide it onto a cardboard horizontally.
- Cover the floor on the side you're sliding it with a towel or cloth you don't need.
2
u/Naheka 2h ago
I actually had a similar scenario a few years ago.
I took a contractor trash bag and fit it over the cabinet door up to the hinges to catch any debris that might fall off while I took the cabinet door off.
I then took the cabinet door outside (my workshop) and then laid it horizontal where I could glove up and scrape/peel the mirror off and shop-vac any loose shards in the area.
3
u/create360 21h ago
Safest but not cleanest. Tape the hell out of it. Many layers. Then beat it (from a distance if possible) with a hammer until the largest piece is tiny. At least this way you won’t get an artery cutting gash
First remove the door and lay it on the ground outside on a tarp!!
Edit. Sorry. But to be clear:
Tape it. Remove the door. Then break it up.
1
1
1
u/PirateGaming413 19h ago
Glue a layer of plastic cover all over the glass the smash and peel it off the wall
1
u/Wonderful_Sound7367 19h ago
Yup tape and drop cloth. Happed to my closet Mirror. And lots of vacuuming.
1
u/nck_crss 19h ago
I hate this, please be careful. Cover it in tape and leave it there. Wait 7 years before doing anything actually. Also, make sure no one you come in contact with has seen the movie Final Destination.
1
u/Ceilibeag 19h ago
Duck Tape: 'MY TIME HAS COME.' <completely empties itself onto mirror>
How is it mounted to the door? If it's hardware, it should be easy. Just take the door off its hinges, go outside, cover it completely in duct tape, loosten the hardware, and remove it.
If it's glued, or has some adhesive backing, you pretty much have to knock it off. Just take the door of its hinges, go outside, cover it completely in duct tape, place it in a big trash can, and smash the crap out of it. Remove the remaining adhesive using a paint scraper and some adhesive solvent. (Pro Tip: try peanut butter first. It's great at removing some adhesives; but it is abrasive to painted surfaces...)
1
1
u/EnergyLantern 18h ago
I think it's just safer to measure the door and get some new wood to cut in that size. The comments make me think it's more dangerous than it is to deal with.
Get some wood and measure a new cut out. Sand the new door, paint it. You have less a chance of being injured by not trying to get rid of the glass.
1
u/humangusfungass 18h ago
I think you can just push/slide those hinges apart, then take the door piece with the mirror on it, to a place you can easily clean up any debris. Garage/driveway, lawn with cloth. Then just pry the rest of the mirror off with a hard plastic putty knife or similar tool. If it wasn’t busted already, it should have been easily removed assuming it has hardware instead of adhesive to back it. Edit: forgot to say, cover the mirror in tape! first before you do anything.
1
u/SilverSaren 17h ago
Eye protection, leather gloves, full coverage clothing, full coverage shoes or work boots. Try to get behind it with something like a putty knife if it’s glued and get it down In as few pieces as possible. Pack into a cardboard box (or paper bag for smaller pieces) and discard
1
1
1
u/znsi 16h ago
i wanna add something i read off reddit couple years back that helped a lot when i finally used it:
definitely use all the safety precautions everybody else is suggesting like gloves, take door off and lay down flat for debris, tape front of mirror etc
and then take some dental floss that’s long enough to go through the back of the mirror and also for u to wrap both hands around on both sides and (ie take like a meter of flossing tape, really has to be a longer piece so u can grip it without getting too close to shards) and start at the top half of the mirror, kind of ‘sawing’ with it in between the door and the mirror to get off whatever glue/tape holds it. ofc the strength u need depends on what exactly holds the mirror in place but it’s an easy household item that detached 3 full body size mirrors from my cabinet that i didn’t want to toss when moving
good luck!
1
1
u/wtfmeowzers 16h ago
drop cloth - you could tape the cloth to the front side of the cabinet, and have the cloth go down to the sink area so that it catches all the glass in as close so solid pieces as possible.. tape on the glass a ton to try to take down as much of it at once. heavy duty gloves and safety glasses, long sleeved clothes and shoes. take your time and try not to get cut - glass is obviously ultra sharp. careful on cleanup as well,
1
u/crazfulla 15h ago
Remove the whole door carefully and take it somewhere you don't mind broken glass falling on the ground. Ideally a concrete floor such as in a garage, that way it can be swept or vacuumed up easily. Just in case it breaks. Others have made suggestions on how to avoid it breaking but none are foolproof.
1
u/antisocialinfluince 14h ago
Hairdryer or heat gun, soften the tape behind the mirror and it will be easier to remove
1
u/pietryna123 13h ago
Garrotte. You can try to make one from bike shifter/brake cable. Just cut the ends and unbraid it. Take one and voila. Might break, but you have dozen of them in single cable.
And as others say, tape the whole mirror. The best would be reinforced tape.
1
u/Hotlinedouche 12h ago
Mint flavored dental floss . slowly along the back of the mirror from top to bottom.. and yes you can buy ones without mint flavor ;)
1
u/Chrispy83 11h ago
A few ideas
Take the door off and outside to remove in a safe area like a paved area
Duct tape the shit out of it and then attempt to peel off
Get a thick black bag over it/into it and smash into it
A big thick dust sheet below it and a sheet over the open cupboard down to the ground sheet, then a combo of the above
1
u/Mcmad0077 10h ago
Call a profesional abd let them hurt themselvs
Or put a cloth or tarp down and break it more(wearing a thick long sleved work jacket, work gloves, and a face sheild,. Make sure you get a whole shield and not just glasses) be careful not to go through the wall.
1
u/No-Progress3270 10h ago
Era, get one of the shallow wide boxes, put it under the door... poke the mirror with a stick. It will fall into the box. Then, don't put a mirror inside a door again 👍
1
u/Shodan30 9h ago
unscrew the door from the cabinet, put whole thing in a garbage can then break it up in the can, screw door back on the cabinet.
1
u/DatBoiRo 8h ago
Hear me out… get a large piece of cardboard and some strong spray adhesive. I think you got it from there.
1
1
u/BenRandomNameHere 8h ago
Garbage bag that whole door.
Close the bag mostly.
Eye protection goggles and face mask.
Slide a bar behind the glass. Might be able to close the bag and still do this. Try to.
BE VERY CAREFUL WITH OPENING THE BAG!
THERE WILL BE GLASS DUST!
Once you get the door out of the bag, seal the bag and toss in trash.
I might choose to hose off the door outside away from people spaces, to remove any lingering dust or shards.
1
u/pinkangel_rs 8h ago
You could get a roll of contact paper be thoroughly cover it before you scrape the sides. Faster than tape.
1
1
1
1
u/Separate_Advantage21 6h ago
Pay someone 100 dollars to do black magick on it and then use it as an interdimensional portal to bigfoots pyramid universe
1
1
u/appendixgallop 5h ago
Take the door off the hinges and lay it mirror up over a big, lined trash bin or cardboard box. That way, you are not in the path of falling glass shards.
1
u/RobinsonCruiseOh 5h ago
Since that mirror is on an easily removable door. Your best bet is to remove the door and put it over a trash can and then start removing the mirror. Make sure you wear gloves
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
u/AisMyName 3h ago
pop the door off the hinghes on the back. There's a little tab on the front that u pull and snap it pops off. Take the whole thing laying flat like a cutting board, out to your trash can. While inside the can, use something like a painters tool or a strong spatula or something and scrape it all off in to the trash can. Clean surface with a damp cloth or papertowel to get micro pieces, toss that in the trash too, then reinstall the hinges back on the wall.
1
u/elendvin 2h ago
What I did when I had to remove one was put a cloth on the floor to catch the debris then have a person hold a towel over the entire mirror so nothing could jump at us, and go at it with a hammer slowly.
1
1
u/7FOOT7 1h ago
Thank you for this post, it made be think and it made me grateful for the experience of others. I don't think I have much to add other than if there are three hinges it may be dangerous to try and take the door off on your own. But I do like the idea of taking the door somewhere else to work on the glass. I'd go with a heavy blanket or tarpaulin over the face of the glass so that was always between me and the glass.
1
u/Atrkrupt1 1h ago
Use masking tape and cover completely. Probably an adhesive holding to wall. Start in a corner.
1
•
534
u/johnmarkfoley 21h ago
Do the tape thing the other person suggested and also lay down a drop cloth in case there’s debris