Artwork and Framed Pictures/Photographs need to be cleaned periodically. Begin by organizing these pieces as per room they are displayed in. Later, after we are finished organizing our home, we will begin the “Every Nook and Cranny” cleaning process. This process strives to reduce as much dust and dirt to enhance your dwelling to “healthy home” status. Today, we are going to take stock of what we already have and begin to categorize these items into collections for displaying and adding harmony to our homes. Just as the right accessories define an outfit, the right artwork can define your home.

Let’s begin with the oil paintings. I like to remove them from the wall so that they can be thoroughly assessed and cleaned.

Dust the wall where the item hung to remove the dust that has clung to the wall surface. Then dust the back of the piece to remove additional dust. Clean the hanging wire was well to remove the dust that collects there. Then begin to assess the piece. Look for any damage to the frame that needs to be repaired by re-gluing to strengthen the frame. The frame can then be cleaned with a soft cloth and furniture wax or polish. Again, I like to use beeswax for my wooden frames. This will help to keep the wood from drying out resulting in shrinkage that can make the joints loose. If the picture has a piece of glass on the front, you can clean this with a paper towel spayed with window cleaner. Do not spray the window cleaner on the glass. Spray the cloth and then clean the glass. This will keep the picture safe from moisture damage.

If you have oil paintings, these need to be periodically professionally cleaned. In between these cleanings, you can clean them by using a clean soft dry paintbrush or soft cloth to remove any dust.

Pictures with glass covering the artwork can be cleaned using the same process as above. Remove the painting and dust both the wall and back of the painting (you’ll be surprised how much dust collects here). Wipe the frame with just a bit of furniture polish sprayed onto a soft cloth. Clean the glass with a clean soft cloth lightly misted with glass cleaner or a vinegar and water solution. It is important not to spray the glass itself as the fluid will seep between the glass and the frame and damage the artwork inside.

Empty frames are unused resources. If you have frames that are not in use, follow the steps to clean and preserve them now. Then start looking for artwork or photographs to display in these frames. If you aren’t going to utilize these frames, they can be used to frame special photographs and given to friends and family that you know will love and cherish them. Remember to capitalize your resources and frames are a wonderful resource for displaying our interests or special moments and menories.

Sculptures/Knick-Knacks

We tend to surround ourselves with small pieces of art (Knick-knacks). These are often sweet, memorable objects that are fascinating dust collectors. Special care is needed in cleaning these as some can be valuable or sentimental and we would not want to damage them. While cleaning them would be a good time to determine if any themes emerge from your collection of items, which would lend to similar items to be displayed as a collection. To clean the these delicate items, you’ll want to use a slightly damp soft cloth. Wipe gently to remove dust. Do not immerse delicate glazed objects in water as the water will penetrate any cracks in the glaze and darken the cracks. Canned air can be used for the most fragile of items.

When you are finished with cleaning the artwork, rehang in the original location or form a new collection of similar pieces (similar by color, content or size) to add a dramatic display to your home.