Easy Steps to Care for Your Photo Frames

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 most important things you can do when it comes to caring for your photos, is to make sure you have a way to create a duplicate of your most important photos. 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 the negatives, slides or CDs storing them are in case you need to replicate them?

Those special irreplaceable photos require high quality replication to help make sure that you never lose them. There are several ways to make copies of your old photos, but it is best to seek the help of a professional who will correctly replicate your photographs and ensure they’re not damaged in the process.

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 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, 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. Go ahead and clean the glass with a glass cleaner.Remember if it's acrylic you should only use soap and water as glass cleaner will ruin the acrylic.You should also use cloth towels with acrylic because paper towels can leave behind fine scratches on the acrylic. Also, the acid in paper towels can stay on the glass and slowly degrade the photo inside the frame, so if you are using conservation techniques to protect your photos, only use a cloth towel to clean your 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, be sure to remove your picture from the frame before cleaning with a spray cleaner.

For unfinished frames with a raw or unprotected wood surface, be extra careful with these frames as they can be damaged by improper cleaning.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.

Caring for Metal Picture Frames

Metal picture frames can be cleaned in several ways.Use a water dampened towel to gently clean off any metal picture frames. Wipe the frame gently and then dry with a soft dry cloth to avoid leaving water marks.

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. Be sure to carefully read the cleaner instructions 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 you're done with cleaning your metal frame, wash you hands so you don't transfer any cleaning residue onto your photo. Before replacing your photo, make sure the glass and frame are completely dry before putting back your photo. 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 very easy to properly care for your frames and photos by following these simple steps. By consistently taking care of your photos and frames, your framed memories will always look their best.

About The Author Autumn Lockwood is a writer for YourPictureFrames.com and loves picture frame shopping. Shop online and see our selection of wooden wall picture frames or call us at 1-800-780-0699.