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.

The Importance of Creating Duplicates of Your Special 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.With digital cameras, it's easy to take and print photos whenever you want.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 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 Photo Frames Regularly

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 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 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 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 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 off dust without leaving the frame wet or with pieces of towel or paper towel stuck to the rough unfinished wood finish.  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 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'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 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.