Separating a Photograph from Glass

Remove a stuck picture from the inside of a glass frame.

We place our pictures in frames to protect the print and preserve the memory it displays. But when a frame comes in contact with rain or excessive humidity, the photograph can become stuck to the inside of the protective glass pane. If you try to peel away the picture from the pane, you risk tearing it to shreds. Using moist heat and a single thread of waxed dental floss, you can separate the photo from the glass without damaging it.

Things You'll Need

• Pot
• Cooking mitts
• Wax dental floss

Instructions

1. Remove the back of the frame from the glass pane. If the wooden, metal or plastic surrounding border of the frame can be lifted off, do so and set it aside.

2. Boil a pot of water until steam begins to billow. Don a pair of cooking mitts, then hold the glass pane over the steam for 20 to 30 seconds.

3. Cut a length of waxed dental floss and pull it taught between your hands. Wedge the floss between the photograph and the glass pane.

4. Pull the floss down the length of the photograph until you feel it begin to loosen. Lift the photograph away from the glass and store it in a plastic archival sleeve or photo album.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean the glass pane of any residue using window cleaner or a concentrated solvent, such as isopropyl alcohol.

• Do not hold the pane over the steam without using cooking mitts or gloves, as the heat will burn your skin. Avoid holding the photograph over the steam for too long, as this may damage it.

References

• Photo Restoration: Saving Family Photos After a Flood