The advantages and disadvantages of bathroom mirrors?
1. Quality of glass and backing
The back of the glass must be coated with a reflective mirror in order to image, and most mirrors on the market today use silver or aluminum as this layer. These two materials are very different. In general, aluminum mirrors are prone to oxidation and imaging will turn white, so the life span will be shorter; silver mirrors are not prone to oxidation and can still be imaged properly in humid environments. Because the price of silver mirror is much higher than aluminum mirror, some businesses will use aluminum mirror to fake silver mirror to make huge profits. Consumers should know how to distinguish.
2. Look at the reflection clarity
Generally speaking, silver mirror is clearer than aluminum mirror, the reflection angle of the light source is more standardized; aluminum mirror has low reflectivity, about 70%, and is prone to shape and color distortion.
3. See the back of the coating
Scrape off part of the protective paint on the back of the bathroom mirror. If the bottom layer is copper, it proves to be a silver mirror, if it is silver-white, it proves to be an aluminum mirror. Generally speaking, the back coating of silver mirrors is dark gray and the back coating of aluminum mirrors is light gray.
4. Check the activity of the paint
Silver is an inactive metal and is not easily oxidized, while aluminum is an active metal and is easily oxidized. When purchasing, ask to be exposed to dilute hydrochloric acid. If the reaction is not obvious, it proves to be a silver mirror, and if the reaction is obvious, it proves to be an aluminum mirror.