Hello and welcome to the That’s Great News blog. Today, we here at That’s Great News wanted to talk about a topic that is near and dear to our hearts: how to take care of your plaque so that it can continue to serve as a treasured keepsake for years to come.
After all, you worked hard to earn the recognition of a publication, whether it’s a news journal, business magazine, or even a sports association. They made an article about you and your accomplishments, and you took that recognition to the next level by immortalizing it in a plaque. Now that you have a beautiful wooden plaque of your favorite featured article, how will you take care of it?
The Basic Rules of Keeping a Plaque in top Shape
Most of the time, keeping your plaque in pristine condition is relatively simple: just treat it like the Mogwai from Gremlins. Keep it out of direct sunlight, don’t put it in water, and don’t feed it after midnight. Okay, maybe feeding the plaque won’t be a problem, but do try to avoid using the plaque as a plate for food.
While our plaques are designed to last for years, direct exposure to the harmful rays of the sun could degrade both the plaque. Tough and sturdy as these plaques are, they are not proof against the ravages of the gargantuan ball of fire that our planet orbits. Ultraviolet rays from the sun can degrade even the toughest materials if given enough time, and a basic part of preserving any keepsake is to keep it out of direct sunlight so that you can limit its UV ray exposure.
All of our plaques are able to resist the effects of everyday accidental water exposure rather well, but prolonged exposure or submersion can cause damage to even the most water-resistant wood. If water is spilled on a plaque, or the plaque gets dropped in a bucket of water, simply wipe off the water with a towel and let the plaque hang to dry. So long as the plaque isn’t being taken for a swim, it should be fine.
As for food, and other things not meant to be placed on a plaque, accidents happen. Sometimes someone’s eating a hot, greasy burger, and drops it on your desk, covering your plaque in grease, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and special sauce of unidentified origin (don’t worry, it’s probably just Thousand Island dressing). While these things might be delicious placed between two buns, you do not want them on your plaque.
Thankfully, cleaning your plaque and preventing a stain from marring your favorite featured article is almost as easy as wiping off water. Simply use a dry paper towel to wipe off most of the grease and food. Once that is done, dampen a rag with some rubbing alcohol and rub down the plaque until the last of the food debris has been wiped away, occasionally changing rags as needed.
In fact, rubbing alcohol makes for a great plaque cleaner for most messes, such as if a permanent marker stains the plaque’s surface. Just apply a little rubbing alcohol and wipe the mark away.
The Best Defense
Of course, the above example can only happen if the plaque is displayed on a desk using a stand. While displaying your plaque on your desk does make it highly visible to anybody who visits your office, your plaque can be just as noticeable when hung on the wall.
Your plaque is perfect for hanging on the wall, as all That’s Great News plaques are designed to hang beautifully and securely on your walls.
If you don’t want to hang it on the wall, don’t worry. Our Lucinda Premium plaques have free standing mounts available so you can display the plaque on your desk or tabletop.
We hope that you have found this advice for how to take care of your wooden plaque to be informative, entertaining, and helpful whether you are proud new owner of a featured article plaque or if you’ve already had your own plaque on display for a long time. With some basic care, these commemorative keepsakes will last for years and continue to be as beautiful and attention-grabbing as the day you first got them.
Wishing you well,
That’s Great News.
P.S. If you would like to learn more about how to care for your plaque, contact us today.
