Snow Globe Care and Repair

Temperature Control
The first rule of caring for your snow globe collection is keeping it stored under a moderate, stable temperature. Both extreme heat and extreme cold be damaging to your snow globes.

Exposure to extreme heat can cause evaporation in your snow globe. Also, very high temperatures can jeopardize the adhesive bonds holding your globe together and may result in leaking.

If your snow globes are exposed to very cold temperatures, leaks can occur. Cold may also cause discoloration of the liquid inside your snow globe.

To avoid temperature damage, the ideal place to display your snow globe collection is in a curio cabinet or on a mantle. Avoid displaying your snow globes too close to windows or heating vents. If you have a seasonal snow globe collection that goes into storage for a better part of the year, store your globes in a closet with stable temperature and humidity levels.

Cleaning
Because you should never use harsh or abrasive chemicals and cleanser on your snow globes, the best method of up-keep is regular maintenance.

Your snow globe collection should be dusted regularly. If you are careful to lightly dust with a feather duster on a weekly basis, you can avoid buildup. The longer you allow dust particles and other ambient dirt to collect on your globes, the more difficult it will be to properly clean them.

If you have allowed a lot of buildup on your globes, or maybe you just scored a new one at garage sale that needs sprucing up, a mild non-abrasive cleaner can be used on the base. Also, window cleaner can be used to clean the glass.

Musical Features
If your snow globe has a musical feature, be sure not use any cleaning products that would tarnish or rust the components. And, be sure not to over-wind the musical key. This will certainly cause damage that can be expensive, or worse, impossible to repair.