How to Store a Mirror
If you store a broken mirror the wrong way and break it, will you really end up with seven years of bad luck?
Legends about broken mirrors and bad luck date back to ancient Romans, who believed that a reflection in a mirror was a depiction of one’s soul. Breaking that mirror was seen as damaging the inner self. Because Romans believed that health and happiness came in seven year cycles, breaking a mirror was acknowledged as a surefire way to spell doom for an entire seven years.
While we personally think that that’s a tiny bit dramatic, we totally understand the desire to keep a perfectly good mirror intact. Whether you’re superstitious or just super into your favorite mirror, here’s how to store it in five easy steps.
1. Clean the Mirror. Dust and debris will create scratches while your mirror is in storage, so take the time to run a dust cloth over your mirror and then wipe it down with glass cleaner. After, remove nails and hooks and place them in an envelope.
2. Wrap the Mirror. Wrap the mirror in acid-free tissue paper and then wrap it in a generous layer of bubble wrap. Slide it into an appropriately sized corrugated mirror box. Label the box so that you know where the front, back, top and bottom are. Most importantly, be sure to label it with the word “fragile” so that you and anyone else handling the mirror will be extra gentle. Tape the envelope of nails and hooks to the front of the box or store it somewhere safe.
3. Store it Vertically. Never store a mirror horizontally. Lean it up against something in a position that prevents it from falling over and be sure that it’s not near anything else in your storage unit that might fall on it.
4. Consider Climate Control. Thinking about climate controlled self storage? Any item that you care about preserving should not be exposed to high heat, extreme cold, intense humidity or dryness. Whether or not you need it will vary depending on where you live and how long you’re storing for along with other unique factors. But at the end of the day, it never hurts to have climate control when renting a storage unit.
5. Get to Know Your Storage Facility. For additional advice on storing a mirror, don’t hesitate to ask your storage facility about best practices. Is your mirror an antique? Is there something unusual about the design? Is it very valuable? These are all worthwhile questions. Get to know your storage facility and the people who work there and store with confidence.
