If you have lots of photos displayed in your house, chances are good that you don’t know how to properly care for your picture frames. Find out what you need to do to safeguard your pictures and keep your favorite framed photos looking great for years.
Creating Duplicates of Your Important Photos
One of the best things you can do to care for your pictures, is to make sure you have a way to create a high quality duplicate.With digital cameras, it’s easy to take and print photos whenever you want. But what about the old photos you have on your walls or tabletops? Do you know where the negatives, slides or CDs storing them are in case you need to replicate them?
Those special one-of-a-kind photographs require high quality replication to help make sure that you never lose your photo memories.There are several ways to make copies of your special pictures, but it’s best to seek the help of a professional who will ensure your photos are properly replicated without damaging your photos.
Clean Your Picture Frames Often
Like any other object in your home or office, picture frames do collect dust and need to be dusted periodically.The best way to do that is to lay your picture frame face down on a thick towel. This will help to protect the frame and the glass from getting scratched. Next, remove the backing and carefully take out the picture.
Once you have opened the back of the frame and taken out the photo, you can lift out the glass from the frame. You can now clean the glass with any glass cleaner. Remember, though, if it is acrylic, just use soap and water.You should also use cloth towels with acrylic because paper towels can leave behind fine scratches on the acrylic.If you’re wanting to use conservation techniques and protect your photos , you should only clean the glass with a cloth as paper towels leave an acid residue behind on the glass.
The care of your picture frame depends largely upon the material and finish of your frame. To clean a wood picture frame with a smooth lacquer finish use a dust cleaner or a water dampened cloth.To prevent damaging your frame, find out if your frame has a lacquered finish so you don’t ruin your frame by cleaning it the wrong way.And don’t forget to remove your photo from the frame before cleaning with a spray cleaner.
For unfinished picture frames that have raw or unprotected wood surface, be especially careful as they can be damaged if not properly cleaned.Unlike lacquered or finished wood frames with a protective finish, unfinished wood frames should only be dusted with a dry toothbrush or cleaned with a small handheld vacuum.This method cleans your frame off without leaving pieces of paper towel or cloth stuck to your unfinished wood frame.Avoid using wood or dust cleaners on unfinished wood frames as they can discolor or stain the bare wood frame.
How to Care for Your Metal Picture Frames
Metal picture frames can be cleaned in several ways. Use a slightly dampened towel moistened with water to clean aluminum or gold or silver colored frames.Wipe the frame carefully and then dry with a soft dry cloth to avoid leaving water spots.
If you have a precious metal frame, like a solid pewter photo frame, silver plated frame or sterling silver frame, you need to determine if it has a lacquered finish. In most cases, if you’ve had the frame for a while and it hasn’t tarnished you can be pretty sure it’s a lacquered frame. A lacquer finished frame should only be cleaned with a water dampened cloth and gently dried with a dry, soft cloth towel.
If you have an old silver frame that has tarnished, then chances are very good it doesn’t have any lacquer coating and needs to be cleaned with a silver cleaner.Make sure to read the cleaner instructions carefully before applying. And, remember to remove your photo before you clean your frame to avoid damaging your photo.
Anytime you use a cleaner, always test a small area on the back or bottom of the frame to make sure the cleaner doesn’t react badly with your frame. Once done with cleaning your metal frame, wash your hands to avoid transferring any cleaning residue to your photo.Before putting back your picture, make sure the frame and glass are completely dry. If there is moisture remaining on the glass, you can run the risk of having your photo damaged if the photo sticks to the glass.
As you can see, it’s easy to take care of your picture frames properly by following these simple steps. By regularly taking care of your pictures and frames, your framed photos will always look their best.
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