Hey,
I'm going nuts matting and framing my own stuff with trying to get the inside glass clean and dust free. Is there some great cleaning product I don't know about? I use mostly black mats and it is almost impossible for me to get all the stuff off the glass. HELP!
Chris
Posted by Anne K. Rusk on December 3, 2011 at 11:54 PM
I slit my finger open last weekend doing the same thing! I used cotton hankies slightly damp. Using a new area for every swipe and only swiping in one direction, I got it down to only about 15 mins per frame. Not a great speed, but better than the first one (I first cut my hand on the mat, then sliced my thumb on the glass...not my best day!).
Posted by Keith Bauer on December 4, 2011 at 11:46 AM
MicroFiber clothes work wonders for picking up the tiny little dust specs. For me, it is paper towels and windex, then a very light misting of windex and a good thorough cleaning with micro fiber.
Posted by Jim Bullard on December 4, 2011 at 12:21 PM
I use plexiglass a lot and when you pull the protective covering off it generates a lot of static. I've learned that if you wipe the covering down with a slightly damp cloth first it cuts the static down a lot. You might try doing the same with regular glass. Something about the slight moisture gets rid of the static that attracts bits of dust, hair and the like. I sympathize. I've had the experience of putting a photo into a frame as many as 5 times before I got in with out dust inside the glass.
I haven't had too many problems once I realized a few simple things. First, work in a low dust environment (duh). Then I peel the cover off, flip it over, and peel the second cover off (ok, obvious so far). The key then is to use what is now the top side (which has not come in contact with any surfaces) as the inside of the glass. I usually only get a few specs in when I do that, and then those are easily removed individually with a microfiber by lifting the glass and reaching under. I say glass, though all I've used is acrylic, which I believe has worse static issues (unless you get the museum stuff).
Posted by Greg Lessard on December 4, 2011 at 3:10 PM
The quality of your frame can have a major impact on how much dust you have to deal with. Some frames have a lot of dust packed with them. Other frames are cheaper and for lack of a better term grind to dust more easily. Get a good quality frame. I have found that Pledge glass wipes work fairly well. I HATE DUST!!!!
I hated to ask cause' it seemed like common sense to me, but man. I try and keep costs down by doing everything I can myself. So, I buy frame shells from FrameUSA, cut my own mat boards, and then buy sheets of glass from a local window maker. But, the frames are a bit dusty with saw dust type stuff, and the glass comes unprotected and quite dirty. it cleans up well enough aside from the fine dust that I just can't seem to get rid of, until now. I'll try the damp cloth after the windex and paper towels. In the end, it seems like a lot of work and effort to go to and still charge a reasonable price for the finished product. If I were to buy professionally cut double mats and frames, I wouldn't be able to charge a high enough price keep going with it. So for now, I'll just try and find a better way of doing what I've been doing.
Thanks,
Chris
Posted by Jim Sabiston on December 4, 2011 at 6:41 PM
Chris,
I show in quite a few gallery shows and outdoor shows. One of my methods fro keeping costs down is to rotate frames - th esame frame might see a dozen different prints before being sold. So, naturally, as by product of much traveling and remounts - dust is a constant companion. I found two things are important:
Cleaning: Keith Bauer and I are on the same page, Windex and microfiber. Cleans glass fast and reliably.
Frames: I use Michaels frames (bought only on sale - 40-50% off - and with the additional 25% discount coupon). Thi sway I get to handpick only the best frames. I've learned to avoid certain models with cheap, brittle paint that tends to chip and get behind the glass during swaps.
Hope that helps!
Posted by Zack Clothier on December 5, 2011 at 2:20 AM
Hey Chris, being a framemaker myself I can offer you some suggestions (which work well for me)..
This is a step by step process of how I do it:
1. First I clean my workstation and make it as dust free as possible.
2. Since I am working with raw lumber and hand router out the back of each frame I tend to have a lot more sawdust in my frames. I use an air compressor to get most of the dust out and then wipe the frame down with a damp cloth to remove the stubborn dust. Wiping off the frames you get from Frame USA might be a good idea if they tend to come with a lot of dust on them.
3. Next I prepare the matted print and set it aside for now.
4. I also deal with a local glass shop and the glass comes very dirty, I use either a product called "Perfect Glass" (available at most good hardware stores) or an alcohol/water mixture and use paper towels to clean the glass. After the glass is cleaned on both sides I hold it up to the light to make sure I've gotten all the fingerprints, dust, etc. off it.
5. Once I am sure the glass is dust and smudge free I lay the matted print down onto the glass and then flip the entire package over. I examine it thoroughly for dust particles and once I am satisfied with it I tape seal the entire package. Although this adds some time to the framing process I find that it saves me considerable time in the long run from chasing dust particles that accumulate in the frame over time.
Without the tape seal the matte/glass package creates a very efficient diaphram pump, so any movement of the glass or backing causes air to be pumped in and out of the frame, thus sucking in dust and other debris. Tape sealing also helps to prevent buckling of the print from rapid changes in humidity because it slows down this process. Once you've tape sealed the package it is easy to rotate frames as Jim suggested, and you don't have to worry about dust getting between the glass and print again!
6. Finally I put the tape sealed package into my frame and insert my backing tabs, being careful to leave at least a business cards' width between the tabs and the artwork package so it's a little loose. This also helps prevent buckling of the artwork.
Hope this helps!
Posted by Andy Richards on December 11, 2011 at 10:36 AM
I have actually gotten the best results with hot soap and water. I have a large fiberglass work sink in my basement and I use those Playtex dishwashing gloves (partly because the water is so hot, partly to protect my fingers - wet fingers,softened water are more easily sliced open - and partly to help keep the glass clean). Very hot water, dawn dish soap and a sponge, and rinsed under very hot running water. I then use either high quality white paper towel or microfiber cloths to dry. I have never been able to use windex without streaks.
Discussion
9 repliesI'm going nuts matting and framing my own stuff with trying to get the inside glass clean and dust free. Is there some great cleaning product I don't know about? I use mostly black mats and it is almost impossible for me to get all the stuff off the glass. HELP!
Chris
I hated to ask cause' it seemed like common sense to me, but man. I try and keep costs down by doing everything I can myself. So, I buy frame shells from FrameUSA, cut my own mat boards, and then buy sheets of glass from a local window maker. But, the frames are a bit dusty with saw dust type stuff, and the glass comes unprotected and quite dirty. it cleans up well enough aside from the fine dust that I just can't seem to get rid of, until now. I'll try the damp cloth after the windex and paper towels. In the end, it seems like a lot of work and effort to go to and still charge a reasonable price for the finished product. If I were to buy professionally cut double mats and frames, I wouldn't be able to charge a high enough price keep going with it. So for now, I'll just try and find a better way of doing what I've been doing.
Thanks,
Chris
I show in quite a few gallery shows and outdoor shows. One of my methods fro keeping costs down is to rotate frames - th esame frame might see a dozen different prints before being sold. So, naturally, as by product of much traveling and remounts - dust is a constant companion. I found two things are important:
Cleaning: Keith Bauer and I are on the same page, Windex and microfiber. Cleans glass fast and reliably.
Frames: I use Michaels frames (bought only on sale - 40-50% off - and with the additional 25% discount coupon). Thi sway I get to handpick only the best frames. I've learned to avoid certain models with cheap, brittle paint that tends to chip and get behind the glass during swaps.
Hope that helps!
This is a step by step process of how I do it:
1. First I clean my workstation and make it as dust free as possible.
2. Since I am working with raw lumber and hand router out the back of each frame I tend to have a lot more sawdust in my frames. I use an air compressor to get most of the dust out and then wipe the frame down with a damp cloth to remove the stubborn dust. Wiping off the frames you get from Frame USA might be a good idea if they tend to come with a lot of dust on them.
3. Next I prepare the matted print and set it aside for now.
4. I also deal with a local glass shop and the glass comes very dirty, I use either a product called "Perfect Glass" (available at most good hardware stores) or an alcohol/water mixture and use paper towels to clean the glass. After the glass is cleaned on both sides I hold it up to the light to make sure I've gotten all the fingerprints, dust, etc. off it.
5. Once I am sure the glass is dust and smudge free I lay the matted print down onto the glass and then flip the entire package over. I examine it thoroughly for dust particles and once I am satisfied with it I tape seal the entire package. Although this adds some time to the framing process I find that it saves me considerable time in the long run from chasing dust particles that accumulate in the frame over time.
Without the tape seal the matte/glass package creates a very efficient diaphram pump, so any movement of the glass or backing causes air to be pumped in and out of the frame, thus sucking in dust and other debris. Tape sealing also helps to prevent buckling of the print from rapid changes in humidity because it slows down this process. Once you've tape sealed the package it is easy to rotate frames as Jim suggested, and you don't have to worry about dust getting between the glass and print again!
6. Finally I put the tape sealed package into my frame and insert my backing tabs, being careful to leave at least a business cards' width between the tabs and the artwork package so it's a little loose. This also helps prevent buckling of the artwork.
Hope this helps!