There are a couple of ways to clean a mirror. There are special cleaners you can order form Orion or other places. I usually clean my 8" mirror by first dunking it in soapy water and gently swishing it with a cotton ball. Once I take it out I'll rinse with bottled water because it is distilled. I have a special glass cleaner that wipes away spots. Then I use cotton gloves when handling the mirror. Be very careful with the gloves, it's very slippery. DO NOT USE RAINEX!! On cold nights it will fog up and you'll have to clean it again. Have fun.