How do I remove black spots on an antique dressing table mirror?
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I can tell you from experience this one is not an easy job and it is quite difficult to do. The back of the mirror is coated on the back with either aluminum or silver. On antique mirrors like yours they were coated with mercury. This is very hard to clean and normally needs to be removed and coated again. If you want to remove the black spots then you will need to refinish the entire mirror and coat it again. Here is a site that can give you the steps in how to do this one. It is a very messy job and take a lot of time to do. I tried it once on a mirror that was my great grandmother and I ended up giving up on it because it was so hard to do. homeguides.sfgate.com/
If the black spots are from the back and not on the front surface of the mirror, as happens with old mirrors, then you have a few choices. 1: live with it, 2: strip and re-silver the back,3: sometimes if the black spots are small or the mirror back coating is gone (leaving a clear spot), it can be fixed with foil or mirror paint, 4: if the black spots are only around the outer part of the mirror, you can either paint a "fake frame" or make a wooden one that will fit into whatever is holding the mirror now.
Here is a link to reviving your mirror, - www.doityourself.com/
This is something I have never attempted but if this is a mirror you really like you may want to try repairing it but it does not sound like an easy job.
abeautifulmess.com/
If you are asking because you want to keep the mirror, my recommendation is to have it professional resilvered.
If you are asking because you want to sell it, I suggest selling it as is and let the next person decide what to do. Some people like the look of the old mirrors with all of their aging imperfections.
As long as you clearly disclose details of the flaws BEFORE in the ad, you should be fine!
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