How to Clean Gold Picture Frames

Restore shine to a gold picture frame with a few common household items.

Pictures frames are often used to showcase special people and moments in your life. Frames are made from numerous materials including plastic, wood, clay, crystal and even gold. Special care must be taken when handling and cleaning gold to ensure damage isn't done to the surface. Use a few common household items to clean gold picture frames and get them to look like new again.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Dry cloth
• Sponge
• Turpentine
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Baking soda
• 3 egg whites

Instructions

Use Turpentine

1. Wipe the gold picture frame with a dry cloth removing any dirt and dust.

2. Moisten a sponge with turpentine. The sponge should be damp but not soaked. Turpentine may be purchased from most hardware stores.

3. Wipe the frame with the moistened sponge removing any dirt and rust.

4. Reapply turpentine to the sponge and wipe down the frame until completely clean.

5. Allow the frame to air dry.

Use Baking Soda & Egg Whites

1. Wipe down the gold picture frame with a dry cloth removing any dirt and dust.

2. Mix one ounce of baking soda with three egg whites in a small bowl. Beat the mixture with a spoon until the baking soda and egg whites are completely blended.

3. Dip a cloth into the mixture. Remove any excess liquid by lightly ringing the cloth.

4. Wipe the frame with the moistened cloth. Reapply mixture as needed and wipe the frame until completely clean.

Tips & Warnings

• Test a small area of the gold frame with turpentine to ensure no damage is done to the gold.

• Wear gloves and have adequate ventilation when using turpentine.

• Turpentine is a flammable liquid and a fire hazard.

References

• Food Fun and Facts: Picture Frames

Resources

• Hazardous Substance Factsheet