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Remove Fog Free Coating

Carrie B
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago

I bought this inexpensive Allen & Roth (Lowes) fog free Medicine cabinet a few months ago. Despite some reviews complaining about the mirror (how bad can a mirror be?) I bought it.

The mirror - after a month of use - is now smudged and scratched and no amount of proper cleaning helps.

I called Lowes and they won’t take it back without the receipt, which I no longer have.

Some reviews said that fog free coating can be removed. I tried to lift it with my fingernail to no avail. I don’t care about the fog free aspect anyway. Anyone have tips on removing the coating?

Hard to capture the issue, but that big smudge in the middle won't go away, and there are a lot of small scratches as well.




Comments (22)

  • krissie55
    2 years ago

    Where is plicture of the medicine cabinet. All I see is picture of shower door & a window.

    Carrie B thanked krissie55
  • Karenseb
    2 years ago

    You are looking at the mirror and the reflection. I see the smudge. I'd be interested if any one has a solution.

    Carrie B thanked Karenseb
  • Carrie B
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    I had no idea I had comments on this, so annoying! I have notifications switched on, but still don't get them...


    @krissie55 - you're looking at the medicine cabinet/mirror - it's frameless. But what you're seeing is the reflection in it.


    @Karenseb - My partner came over and he *was* above to peel the coating off with his fingernail. Guess he's got better fingers (or nails!) than I do.


    It was a little hard to pull off - the coating is a thick, semi-rigid plastic and it took two of us - me to hold the medicine cabinet door in place (so he didn't accidentally rip it off) while he slowly peeled off the coating, which took some strength.


    Now that the coating is gone, the mirror looks perfect. And, since I usually don't bother to close the bathroom door anyway (I live alone,) there isn't even fog on the mirror after a shower now that the coating's gone!


    It's such a stupid design defect. It's a perfectly fine (cheap!) medicine cabinet - and then they go and add this "fog free" coating that scratches and smudges so easily...




  • Karenseb
    2 years ago

    Good to hear.

  • Nancy in Mich
    2 years ago

    Good for the two of you for peeling that off! A word of warning - buyers of medicine cabinets of all price points complain of mirrors turning black on the edges where the silvering fails. Most manufacturers specify using only a water-dampened cloth for cleaning the mirrors. Glass cleaner appears to be the worst thing to use.

    Carrie B thanked Nancy in Mich
  • HU-195865628
    2 years ago

    I’m having the same problem. how did you pull this off? from the corner?


  • HU-195865628
    2 years ago

    OMG!!! it totally worked!! I was able to peel mine off too! There isn’t anyone who will not scratch that stupid coating!!! Thank you so much for posting!!!

  • Carrie B
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Nancy - thanks for the cleaning tip!

    HU - 1958 so glad you were able to get it off!

  • Carrie B
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    It’s just such a stupid thing for them to market!

  • Sarah Gregorek
    2 years ago

    That worked for me, I was going to replace the med cabinet due to the scratches being so bad but my husband took off the fog layer and it looks new again! Thanks for this post!!!

  • Carrie B
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    I think that one of the first scratches was entirely my fault - the instructions stated to only use a clean microfiber cloth with specific brand glass cleaning products.


    There was something stuck on the mirror (flossing debris, perhaps?) that didn't come off immediately with microfiber cleaning so I used my fingernail to try to scrape it off. My fingernail scratched the coating. How ridiculous that a fingernail can scratch a mirror?

  • HU-262387132
    last year

    Glad for the reviews - saved me from making a mistake! I’ll get one without the fog free coating.

  • HU-857226395
    last year

    Thank you all so much!!! I have been going crazy with exactly the same thing with our 2 "anti-fog mirrors". Just pulled both mirror's coating off and it looks great!!

  • Carrie B
    Original Author
    last year

    I am just astonished that this issue seems to be a persistent one. I think they’re still selling these things with the same coating.

  • Nthe 313
    last year

    OMFREAKIN'G!! Thank you ALL so much!!! The Internet wins again. I bought the same stupid Allen Roth med. cab., to go into a RENTAL no less 😳 Went to clean it before the new tenant moved in and it scratched on the 1st wipe 🤬🤬🤬. I took the door off, stood it on end, on carpet and pulled down on the plastic coating with all my might 💪🏾. GOT IT!

  • HU-517298658
    11 months ago

    I had the same problem. i’m so glad i found these tips. mine was quite easy to peel off. i didn’t need to take the door off. i was totally amazed that this plastuc type material was the fog fee coating. what a crazy useless design.

  • Robb Mitchell
    5 months ago

    Just peeled ours off! Thank you...looks 100% better and no more scratches!


  • PRO
    Business_Name_Placeholder
    3 months ago

    OMG! Thank you so much! I just now peeled the anti fog (anti-shine/reflection/looks like crap) film off and now my brand new mirror looks spectacular! I was going crazy trying to find ways to remove the scratches and foggy look.

  • Jenna Stover
    2 months ago
    last modified: 2 months ago

    this forum saved my bathroom mirror!!! I was driving myself insane trying to get rid of the scuffs and scratches and crap stuck on there! thank you so much!

  • HU-846326304
    14 days ago

    My Mother-in-law's new mirror was driving her crazy and we were just about to buy a whole new cabinet when I stumbled across this thread.

    Just like new now, thank you all!!

  • Theresa Goncalves
    12 days ago

    Thank you! i was looking to order a new mirror when i saw these posts

    took about 20 minutes, film came off in one piece thankfully, must be patient

    i dribbled a little water on the inside of the film to keep it from resticking to the mirror as i worked my way across and down