Maritime Antiques and Collectibles

Plate Frame

by admin | June 15th, 2010

Plate Frame

Picture Frames - How to Care For Them

Great photos represent wonderful moments in your life that you’ll always cherish, so help keep your picture frames looking great with these simple steps.

But before I talk about the steps to take care of your picture frames, I first need to touch on how to take care of your treasured photographs.

Taking Care of Your Photographs

Technology has made it easier to take photos with digital cameras. However, there are still photos displayed on walls or tabletops, with no traces of negatives, slides or CDs for replication. Caring for one-of-a-kind photographs like these requires high quality replication. There are various ways to make copies of such photos, but the replication is best done by a professional who can be sure to do it correctly without damaging your photo.

Now that you know how to take care of your photos, you can learn to take care of your picture frames.

Make it a Habit to Clean Your Photo Frames Frequently

Picture frames should be cleaned and dusted periodically, just like any other object in your office or home. First, place a soft thick towel on a flat surface. Then, lay the picture frame face down on the towel while removing the backing and picture. This will help you avoid scratches on the glass and picture frame.

Once you’ve opened the back portion of the frame, simply take the photo out and remove the glass from the frame. Clean the glass with any glass cleaner, but if it’s acrylic, just use soap and water. Cloth towels are better than paper towels, since paper towels can scratch the surfaces of acrylic. What's worse, acid from the paper towels can stay on the glass and slowly degrade the photos inside the frame. So, if you’re using conservation techniques to prevent photo degradation, only use a cloth towel to clean your glass.

There are many different ways to care for your frames depending upon the finish and material of the frame. Cleaning wood picture frames with smooth lacquered finishes requires a dust cleaner or a water dampened cloth. Before using any type of cleaner, make sure your frame has a lacquered finish-like a piece of furniture- to make sure you won’t damage your frame. And before using any spray cleaners, always remove the photos first.

Unlike finished wood frames, unfinished rustic picture frames can be damaged if not cleaned properly. Cleaning rustic wood picture frames without a lacquered finish is best done by using a soft dry toothbrush. This works to clean off the dust without getting the frame wet or getting pieces of towel or paper stuck to the unfinished wood finish. When cleaning unfinished wood picture frames, dust cleaners and wood cleaners should be avoided since they can stain or discolor the bare wood frames.

Caring for Metal Picture Frames

There are several ways to clean metal picture frames. Gold, silver and aluminum frames will only need a damp towel slightly moistened with water. Gently wipe the frame down and then dry it with a soft dry cloth to prevent leaving any marks.

Precious metal frames like solid pewter picture frames, silver plated frames, and sterling silver frames these days have lacquered finishes to prevent tarnishing. These lacquered metal frames should only be dusted with a water dampened cloth and then immediately wiped off with a clean dry towel.

However, if you own an old silver frame then you may need to use a silver cleaner if tarnished by age. Always read carefully the instructions for the cleaner before applying it on the frames. If you’re not sure of the type of finish your frame has, you can use a small part of the bottom or back of the frame to test the cleaner. Be sure to remove the photos before cleaning your frames. And wash your hands after cleaning to avoid transferring cleaning residue on your photos.

After cleaning the glass and frame, it should be completely dry before you place the photo back into it. Moisture residue on the glass can damage the photo by causing it to stick to the glass.

Taking care of your photos and frames is easy if these steps are followed carefully. Follow these simple steps and your picture frames will keep looking beautiful for many years to come.

About the Author

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for YourPictureFrames.com and is passionate about picture frames, hiking and photography.

Your Picture Frames offers a large selection of unique, quality picture frames with free design assistance to help you find the perfect picture frame quickly and easily.

If you're looking for beautiful red picture frames or black picture frames visit our website or call us toll free at 1-800-780-0699.

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