Cleaning seems to be a never-ending cycle, but it has to get done. Especially items you care about! If it’s of sentimental value or you invested a lot of time or money into it – taking care of it is going to be a priority!
Keeping a clean space is not only important for your overall health but walking into a clean room feels good too! If you’ve got wall art or frames hanging on your walls then that means they’re going to need the occasional clean-up and maintenance too!
No worries, while it isn’t completely maintenance-free, art care and keeping clean picture frames is easy! With regular care, your art and frames will last a lifetime! In this guide, we’ll show you all the tips and tricks you’ll need to maintain your beautiful artwork and frames for years to come.
- How do I keep my frames looking new?
- What’s the best way to clean my frames and wall art?
- How do I fix a scuffed frame?
- Can I use window cleaner on my frames?
- Can I use a bath towel to wipe down my frames?
Keeping Your Frame Clean: Tips & Tricks
It All Starts With Unboxing!
If you’ve chosen to print your photo, you’ll receive your frame ready-to-hang, with the photo mounted and the hanging hardware attached (all you need is a hammer – easy!). You will notice that on the outside of the frame is a protective cover.
This cover protects it from scratching during shipping. Once you remove the protective cover, you reveal it to the elements! So be careful and try to keep your fingers off the frame cover!
If you are framing a print, puzzle, or piece of artwork you already have on hand, there will be a few extra assembly steps. You will notice we included two protective covers, on both sides of the acrylic. You will have to open your frame to insert your art, make sure to remove the protective cover from both sides before putting your frame back together.
🔥 Hot Tip: Keeping your fingers off the acrylic cover is key to preventing any smudging! Even if your hands are clean, the natural oils in your skin can rub off and cause a smear on your cover. Grab from the corners of the acrylic cover and peel back the protective seals to minimize smudging!
Microfiber Cloths
When performing any wall art maintenance, do so as gently as possible. At the end of the day, frames are meant to keep their contents safe and secure. So a frame is usually more replaceable than the photo it holds. Still, it’s best to keep the frame itself clean and presentable — to make sure its contents shine through in the best possible way!
The best way to keep dust and other unwanted particles off your frame is with a microfiber cloth. They’re soft, so they won’t leave scratches or blemishes on your frame, which would hurt the overall display. You can purchase microfiber cloth at most grocery or department stores.
Things collect dust. Inconvenient, but true. What a bummer.
🔥 Hot Tip: Don’t use towels or washcloths to wipe down your frames, no matter how tempting! Over time the build-up of these micro-scratches will dull down your frame and cover’s luster as well as visibility. If you are a glasses wearer, like me 🤓, it’s likely you have some small eyewear microfiber cloth around. Tuck those behind your frames and when you need to clean, pull them out! Super clever, huh?
Now That’s What I Call High-Quality H2O!
Welp, sometimes a microfiber cloth alone doesn’t quite do the trick. If you have something more than just dust, try adding a bit of water to go with the microfiber cloth, still being gentle, of course. It’s important to emphasize, too, that we don’t recommend putting water directly on the frame — rather, just on the cloth. This would prevent getting an excessive amount of water on the frame itself, which might cause a bigger issue than the one you were trying to remedy.
Scuffed & Buffed
Life happens! Messes are made but we clean up and carry on! We’ve listed a few Frame It Easy approved cleaning solutions and methods for the worst framing blemishes!
- Toothpaste – Believe it or not, toothpaste can be a great tool in getting your frame looking the best it possibly can — especially if it has a minor scratch on it. Don’t add toothpaste directly to the frame! Instead, mix some into a water-based solution to maintain your frame. Note: This only works on metal frames!
- Furniture polish – This solution works great for smooth wood frames. Make sure to follow the directions on the bottle!
- Warm, soapy water or gentle shampoo – If you do want to use a more “heavy” cleaner on your acrylic cover for things like sticky fingerprints (We’re looking at you, kiddos! 👼), Castille soap and or even baby shampoo should work just fine. These are tough enough cleaners to remove the stains but won’t damage your frame.
We’ve listed a few recommended cleaning products as well:
The “No-No List”
- Never use vinegar to clean your acrylic cover. While vinegar is a more natural cleaning medium that can safely be used on traditional glass or Plexiglass, it’s far too acidic for acrylic surfaces and will damage your covers!
- Avoid ammonia. Ammonia destroys plastic, causing discoloration! Make sure you read the ingredients on cleaners if you choose to use them to clean your frames. Remember: A small amount goes a long way!
- Microfiber cloth is the only material we recommend to clean acrylic. That means no towels, no washcloths, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. Because acrylic scratches much more easily than glass, you want to use a less abrasive type of cloth. (Glass, while fragile, can be cleaned with just about anything — paper towel, sponge, etc., but these can leave scratches on the surface of the acrylic.)
- Don’t drench! Keep away from damp spaces. While using some mild soap and water on your frame cover is acceptable, you generally don’t want to get your picture frames wet. Keeping them away from water sources is always a best practice. Unless specifically noted as such, most picture frames are not made for use outdoors and should be kept inside. Any liquid, rain, or precipitation could leak into the frame, damaging your art.
- Off the floor, please! This is kind of a given, but we recommend keeping those frames off the floor. Even if you’re leaning them against a wall be sure to take extra measures to ensure they are secure.
The Right Picture Hanging Spaces
It’s no secret: electronic screens, such as televisions or computers, attract dust! If you don’t want frames to collect dust by proxy, we wouldn’t recommend placing them (too) close to your television sets or computers. Acrylic has a higher electromagnetic charge, which makes it attract more dust than glass!
Of course, if you don’t mind dusting things off more than usual, feel free to go ahead and place them near your household electronics, it won’t ruin your frame!
While it is ultimately your choice where to hang your frames, there are a few risky areas to keep in mind! These areas include bathrooms, above fireplaces, and walls with direct sunlight. Check out our article on safe ways to hang framed artwork in bathrooms & other “risky” areas.
A Quick Reminder & Pro Advice
Bowing & Warping Watch
While here at Frame It Easy we use quality and relatively low-maintenance frame materials (such as aluminum and poplar), it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on any frame over time to see if it shows signs of warping or bowing. (The only “warping” we like is The Time Warp! 👻)
With humidity and heat variables there could be a chance of your frame reacting poorly, so making sure your frame isn’t beginning to bow is a good precautionary measure. Hanging a frame in an area with higher humidity or changing temperatures — such as above a fireplace or in a bathroom — leaves it more susceptible to warping issues.
Store-bought picture frames are often made with sub-par materials that warp and bow easier, something to keep in mind depending on where you purchase your frame. Also, the way you hang your picture frames — including the hanging hardware you use — can impact the frame’s longevity.
🔥 Hot Tip: Our larger wood frames come with hanging brackets instead of hanging wire to prevent bowing. If you receive a frame from us over 30” wide, keep the brackets on and use the supplied hanging equipment!
Final Framing Care Thoughts
A big part of keeping your frames looking amazing is placing them in a prime location and keeping them clean. Just remember these cleaning tips and your frames will look fantastic:
- Microfiber cloths should get a vast majority of dust and grime off.
- A little bit of water added to the microfiber cloth should get the more stubborn bits off.
- For the most stubborn pieces of debris, a little soapy water will likely do the trick– just be sure to avoid soaps with ammonia.
- Keep your frames away from statically-charged devices, such as TV screens.
- Don’t get your frames wet and keep them out of humid areas.
- Use proper hanging hardware to prevent bowing.
If you have any other questions about caring for and keeping clean picture frames, feel free to reach out to us.
Be sure to share your fantastic frames with us on social media! Be sure to tag us @frameiteasy and use the hashtag #frameiteasy for a chance to be featured!
