Caring for Your Photos and Picture Frames

By co-admin | In: Photography | No Comments

8 January 2010

You are here: Home / Photography / Caring for Your Photos and Picture 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 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 your old photos displayed on your walls or table tops? 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 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

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 portion of the frame and removed the photo, simply lift 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, 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 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 your frame off without leaving pieces of paper towel or cloth stuck to your unfinished wood frame. Avoid using dust cleaners or wood cleaners on unfinished wood picture frames as they can stain or discolor the bare wood frame.

How to Care for Your 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 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. Be sure to carefully read the cleaner instructions before applying. And, remember to always take out your picture before cleaning your frame so you don’t ruin your picture.

Anytime you use any cleaner, always test a small section of the bottom or back of the frame to make sure the cleaner works well with your metal 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.