How to Clean a Framed Poster

October 18, 2026

A framed print is the easiest kind of art to look after. The print is sealed behind a cover, and most of the time a duster is all it needs. Trouble starts when someone reaches for the window spray. Sprayed straight onto a frame, liquid runs down behind the cover and stains the print. On an acrylic cover, the wrong cleaner leaves a permanent haze.

This guide shows the safe way.

First, find out what the cover is made of

Frames have either glass or a clear plastic, usually acrylic, over the print. They need different care. Many framed prints that are shipped by post, including ready-to-hang framed posters, use acrylic or a similar clear plastic, because it is light and doesn't shatter in transit.

To tell which you have:

Tap it gently with a fingernail. Glass gives a sharp, bright click. Acrylic gives a duller, softer tap.
Feel it. Glass is cold to the touch. Acrylic is closer to room temperature.
Weigh it in your hands. A glazed frame is noticeably heavy. An acrylic one is light.
Check the product description.

If you can't tell, treat it as acrylic. The acrylic method is safe for glass. The glass method is not safe for acrylic.

A new frame may have a thin protective film on the cover. If the surface looks cloudy or scuffed when it arrives, look for a film at the corners and peel it off before you do anything else.

Routine dusting

This is all most frames ever need.

Use a clean, dry microfibre cloth, or a soft feather-type duster.
Wipe the top edge of the frame, where dust settles, and then the sides and front.
Wipe the cover lightly, in straight strokes.
Once a month is plenty. More often in a kitchen or near a fire.

Don't use paper towels on acrylic. They are rough enough to leave fine scratches. Don't use a cloth that has been used with polish or cleaning products.

Cleaning the cover

For fingerprints, smears and film that dusting doesn't remove.

The rule for both types

Never spray anything onto the frame. Put the cleaner on the cloth, away from the picture. The cloth should be damp, not wet. Liquid that runs to the edge of the cover is drawn in behind it and soaks into the print and the backing. That damage can't be undone.

Acrylic

Blow or lightly brush off loose dust first. Grit dragged across acrylic scratches it.
Dampen a clean microfibre cloth with plain water. For greasy marks, add one drop of mild washing-up liquid to a cup of water.
Wipe gently in straight lines, with almost no pressure.
Dry with a second clean microfibre cloth.

Do not use glass cleaner, ammonia, alcohol, vinegar, solvents or anything abrasive on acrylic. Ammonia and alcohol can cloud it and cause fine cracks over time. A cleaner sold for acrylic or plastic is fine.

Acrylic builds up static, which attracts dust. A barely damp cloth reduces it. So does an anti-static cleaner made for plastics.

Glass

Spray a little glass cleaner onto a microfibre cloth, away from the picture.
Wipe the glass, keeping clear of the edges where it meets the frame.
Buff dry with a clean cloth.

Plain water with a drop of washing-up liquid works as well and is safer for the frame's finish.

Cleaning the frame

Painted or wrapped frames in black or white: a dry cloth. For marks, a cloth that is very slightly damp, then dry at once.
Bare or stained wood: a dry cloth only. Water can raise the grain and mark the finish. Avoid furniture polish, which can creep onto the cover and leave a film.
Metal: a dry or slightly damp cloth.
Corners and mouldings: a soft, clean paintbrush lifts dust from the joints.

White frames show marks. Most come off with a damp cloth. Don't scrub, which can take the finish with it.

The back

Once or twice a year, take the frame down. Dust the back and the wall behind it. Check that the hanging hardware is tight and the wire or hanger is sound. Look at the backing for any sign of damp or mould. This is also a good moment to see whether the print is fading. See sun fading: where not to hang art.

Common problems

Dust or a speck inside the cover

If the frame is the kind that opens, with tabs or clips at the back, you can open it on a clean, flat surface. Lift out the backing and the print by the edges, with clean dry hands. Blow the speck away, or lift it with a soft dry brush. Don't wipe the print itself. Reassemble.

If the frame is sealed, leave it. Forcing it can damage the frame and the print. A framer can open and reseal it.

Haze on the inside of the cover

Usually from damp or temperature changes. Move the frame to a drier spot, away from bathrooms, kitchens and outside walls. If it persists, open the frame if you can, wipe the inside of the cover with a dry microfibre cloth, and let everything air before closing it.

Fine scratches on acrylic

Light scratches can be reduced with a polish made for acrylic, applied with a soft cloth. Deep ones can't be removed. Prevention is better: microfibre only, and never a dry paper towel.

Sticky residue from a label or tape

On glass, a little glass cleaner on a cloth. On acrylic, warm soapy water and patience. Don't use solvent or adhesive remover on acrylic.

Mould or water stains on the print

This needs a professional, if the piece matters to you. Take it out of the damp at once.

What never to do

Spray cleaner straight onto the frame.
Use glass cleaner, alcohol or ammonia on acrylic.
Use paper towels, scouring pads or rough cloths.
Wipe or wet the print itself.
Clean it while it is hanging on a weak hook. Hold the frame steady, or take it down.
Use polish near the cover.

Scanline Spaceman framed poster by Kiyo Arts — Scanline Spaceman as a framed poster. Put the cleaner on the cloth, never on the frame.

Keeping it clean for longer

Hang frames away from the cooker, where grease settles on everything.
Keep them out of steamy rooms unless the room is well ventilated.
Avoid the wall above a radiator or a vent, which carries dust upward. See art near radiators, vents and fireplaces.
Handle frames by the sides, not by the cover.