How to Care for Your Favorite Photos and Frames

If you have picture frames in your house, chances are good that you may not know how to properly care for them. 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.  Thanks to technology, a digital camera makes it easy to take photos and to print them when needed.  But what about the old photos you have on your walls or tabletops?Do you know where you keep all of your negatives, slides or CDs stored 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 Photo Frames Regularly

Just like any other item in your home or office, picture frames get dirty and need to be dusted regularly.  The best way to do that is to place a thick towel on a flat surface and lay the picture frame face down on the towel. This will protect the frame’s finish and glass from scratching.Next, take off the backing and carefully remove 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.  Paper towels can scratch the surface of acrylic, so it is better to use cloth towels.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 frame largely depends upon the finish and material used to make the frame.  To clean a wood picture frame with a smooth lacquer finish use a dust cleaner or a water dampened cloth.  To prevent damage to your frame be sure before using any type of cleaner that your wood frame has a lacquered finish similar to a piece of furniture.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 finished or lacquered wood frames with a protective finish, unfinished wood picture frames should only be dusted with a soft dry toothbrush or possibly a small vacuum.  This method cleans off dust without leaving the frame wet or with pieces of towel or paper towel stuck to the rough unfinished wood finish.Avoid using wood or dust cleaners on unfinished wood frames as they can discolor or stain the bare wood frame.

Caring for 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 frame with a lacquered finish should only be cleaned with a water dampened cloth and dried right away with a clean dry towel.

If you have an old silver frame that’s tarnished, then you can be pretty sure that it doesn’t have any lacquer coating and should be cleaned with a quality 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 replacing your photo, make sure the glass and frame are completely dry before putting back your photo.If there is any moisture left on the glass, you run the risk of having your photo stick to the glass and be damaged.

As you can see, it’s very easy to properly care for your frames and photos by following these simple steps. By regularly taking care of your pictures and frames, your framed photos will always look their best.