How do you clean the mirrors?

Leave the original mirrors alone. Any liquid cleaner will seep behind the glass and destroy the remaining silvering. Just use a dry cotton swab to gently lift away surface dust. If the mirror is completely black, accept it as part of the history.

I found a small box with a motto on it, but the hinge seems a bit stiff when I try to open it, should I oil it?

Avoid applying oil to these tiny hinges. Oil attracts dust and grit, which will eventually grind away the soft metal of the mount. Stiff hinges usually mean the pin is slightly bent or the metal mount has taken a knock. A specialist can sometimes realign the mount. Until then, handle it gently and do not force the lid back.

What did the patches look like?

They were tiny shapes cut from black silk or velvet. Makers stamped them into stars, crescent moons, or simple circles. The stark black fabric contrasted sharply against pale skin.

My grandmother left me a small enamel box that she always called a patch box, but I noticed there isn't a mirror inside the lid, so could it have been for something else originally?

Not all of them had mirrors. While a mirror is a classic feature, some simpler examples were made without them to keep costs down. However, small enamel boxes also held snuff, bonbons, or breath lozenges. The distinction often comes down to size and shape. Snuff boxes tend to be slightly larger and lack the deep base typical of an antique patch box.

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Antique Patch Boxes

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Small, pocket-sized containers produced mostly during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to hold the gummed silk or taffeta spots worn on the face to conceal smallpox scars and highlight pale skin.