Particular care should be taken when cleaning the glass that not too much cleaner is sprayed on directly as it may run into the area between the glass and the frame. To be safe, spray a soft cloth or paper towel with the cleaner instead. To clean acrylic glazing it is preferable to use a professional acrylic-cleaning product as others, containing ammonia, can damage acrylic sheeting. Professional acrylic cleaners also contain an antistatic ingredient that helps to prevent lint and dust adhering to the surface. Galerie du Monde can provide an excellent acrylic cleaner, which is also an antistatic treatment. Only very soft paper towelling or toilet tissue should be used when cleaning acrylic to avoid hairline scratching.

Framed works of art should be taken off the wall every couple of months and their backs dusted with a dry cloth. The wall area should also be carefully dusted. If its black backing paper shows any sign of moisture the picture should be regularly checked to ensure that mould is not starting to form due to a damp wall or humid room. Once the backing shows signs of considerable dampness and the artwork starts to buckle, it should be returned to the framer to be opened. All inner materials and the work of art should be dried and treated with a fungicide and properly returned to the frame. This may happen in newly constructed buildings where the concrete walls are still extremely damp or in homes and buildings where insufficient care is taken to ensure that humidity and temperature, especially during Hong Kong's summer months, are not excessive.

Framed works of art should not be hung in direct sunlight. Other than moisture, sunlight is the most active and insidious enemy of works on paper. Should the collector find it impossible to hang the picture on a wall that is not exposed to direct sunlight, then a cloth should be hung over it during the hours when direct sunlight would shine on it. However, framed pictures should not be kept in closets or stored in dark areas either, as, linked with other factors such as humidity, inadequate ventilation, etc., this creates conditions in which micro-organisms, insects and rodents can develop and thrive.

As it may be impossible for the collector to ensure that his framer has complied with all the above, the following RULES should be followed by any framer who offers Conservation Framing to Museum Standards to his customers.

ALWAYS make the frame large enough to hold the artwork.

NEVER cut or fold artwork to fit a frame.

ALWAYS use at least 4-ply 100% pure ragboard in front of and behind the piece.

NEVER allow the wood of the frame or wood-pulp board to come into contact with the picture.

ALWAYS hinge-mount, using mulberry paper hinges and vegetable starch glue.

NEVER wet or dry mount.

NEVER use hinges that are stronger than the paper being mounted.

NEVER use glues that are not reversible with water or that contain impurities.

ALWAYS leave a space between the artwork and the glass.

NEVER allow the work of art to come into contact with the glass.

A little care and attention to your framed works of art will ensure their preservation and retention of value for generations to come