HOW TO CARE FOR A SNOW GLOBE

by | Jun 6, 2020

How to care for a snow globe? Here you will find some ideas to keep your snow globes in the best possible condition for a long time.

 

Bubbles in a snow globe

HOW TO CARE FOR A SNOW GLOBEThe appearance of bubbles doesn’t mean that there is a liquid leak in a snow globe. Traditionally these bubbles were considered a defect, however this is no longer the case. Although it sometimes takes a long time, it is practically certain that air bubbles will appear in any snow globe sooner o later. At first it is usually practically unnoticiable but little by little it will increase in size. Usually temperature is the most common reason. High temperatures favor the evaporation of the liquid inside. On the contrary, extreme cold can contract the piece of rubber that encloses the water inside the glass sphere, the subsequent expansion can allow air to enter.

Sometimes bubbles are produced during the shipping from the manufacturing site to the distribution point. Vibration and handling during movement can cause that tiny bubbles that may have been trapped in the closure piece, escape into the liquid. Today most snow globes producers attach a warning to them that the bubbles cannot be identified as a product defect.

The best way to try to delay the appearance of the bubbles is to place the snow globe in a place away from heating and somehow protected from direct light . Protecting them from direct light is also a good way to prevent the figures inside the snow globe lose their color over time and from chemical reactions that can cloud the water. A good place may be between the books on a shelf. If you are a collector and you have your snow globes in a display case, try not to place it near a source of light or heat.

How to clean snow globes

If you want your snow globes to look nice for as long as possible, avoid accumulating dust. Cleaning them is very simple: apply glass cleaner or a similar product to the glass globe and for the base a damp cloth with a little non-abrasive cleaner. With this is enough. It is also convenient to shake the snowballs from time to time, in this way you avoid that the “snow” or glitter inside get caked.

In some cases, the water inside a snow globe becomes cloudy or yellowish. This is usually due to the fact that non-distilled water has been used and no product of those that exist in the specific market has been added to prevent chemical reactions from occurring inside the glass globe. The one I use is quite affordable and easy in specialized craft stores is Water Clarifying Agent for snow globes of the FIMO brand. An alternative to this type of product that I have read frequently is to add alcohol to the water. Personally I have never tried it.

These are the basics about how to care for a snow globe. If you want to know more about how to remove bubbles or replace water that is already cloudy, see How to repair a snow globe.

 

If you feel like it …

Remember that in this Blog and on the page “Tutorials” from QueNieve you will find other great ideas related to snow globes.

 

I’ll be happy to to receive your comments. If you liked this post, share it !!! Thank you very much for visiting QueNieve