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Tips on Cleaning Your Oil Paintings

If you are a painting lover, I am sure you must have a routine schedule to clean your paintings. You will love to see your paintings clean, free from dust, fungus, and insect dirts. Furthermore, your oil paintings can last forever if you take care of them properly.

But sometimes, careless and improper cleaning procedures can damage the paintings. The imprudent use of chemical, and other dangerous solutions may destroy yor family’s valuable portraits inherited by your ancestors. I remember a Mr. Bean’s episode where he had to clean a valuable painting. He ended up with a totally destroyed painting.

Hiring a professional to clean and restore your painting is of course the best way to avoid such a risk. It also saves a lot of your time, but surely not your money. There is a need, therefore, for you to utilize proper chemicals and solutions for cleaning your oil paintings, and removing varnish to restore the painting to its original beauty. Many oil paintings may be in danger because improper use of soap and water, home remedy solutions, linseed oil, glue remover, or other household cleansers.

The process of removing household dirt, tobacco smoke, and yellowish varnish from oil paintings are actually the same, only the cleaning products are different.

Here are some tips you can practice when you decide to clean your paintings yourself:

First, before you begin the cleaning it is always suggested that you take a photograph of your painting. If there is any writing or intricate detail on your painting, take a close up photo of that area. This will act as a reference in case you make mistake and accidentally damage the painting, so that a proper correction can be made.

You will need the following equipment:

- a large clean sheet of paper (rolled brown
paper used for wrapping would be great)
- rubber gloves,
- cotton swabs,
- neutralizer,
- emulsion cleaner,
- varnish remover,
- wooden Q tips (the long six inch type),
- some paint varnish.

I also suggest you to have a large piece or several pieces of a hard formica or multiplex wood and then some strips of plastic or wood to place directly under the are of the oil painting you are working on. The idea is to have a small mini table inside the frame of your painting so that when you press down the canvas you will not over stretch it.

The neutralizer is important to stop any unwanted action of chemical solution you are using to clean your oil painting. This can also be used as an initial cleaning of your entire painting to clean surface dirt.

The emulsion cleaner and varnish remover will be your primary means of restoring your oil painting. Which one will work best depends on what is affecting your portrait. Varnish remover is used to remove yellowed and aged varnish. Emulsion cleaner is used to remove dirt, dust, and smoke from the painting surface.

It is suggested that you start in a small area of the painting, with neutralizer solution. It is a good procedure to stop or prevent any undesired action from other chemical solutions. Observe which solution works best and continue with it.

Lastly, when you have finished cleaning the whole painting, painting varnish should be applied. It will protect the cleaned painting from dust, smoke, fungus, etc. For fungus and hard-to-remove dirt, you can use 70% alcohol solution. Use cotton bud, wet it with alcohol and carefully wipe it on the affected area. Replace the cotton bud with new ones every time it gets dirty.

All of the above equipment can be bought in any art store or craft place, and they are inexpensive.

Actual steps:

Step 1: Lay the oil painting to be cleaned face up on a clean sheet of paper in a well ventilated area. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals. Build up your work area using the strips of wood or plastic and the Formica or hard linoleum directly underneath the area you want to start cleaning. Remember to start in the corner of your oil painting to test before working on high detail areas. Be careful not to press down on the canvas too hard or you will stretch and tear the canvas. Using the mini table underneath is the best way to avoid that.

Step 2: Apply the neutralizer to a piece of cotton and delicately wipe over the face of the oil painting to clean off all the surface from dirt and dust.

Step 3: Next, use a wooden cotton swab to test a corner of the oil painting with emulsion cleaner and a varnish remover to determine which product will best clean your oil painting. Directly after each test make sure you apply some neutralizer on another cotton swab and gently wipe over the test area to neutralize the cleaning action.

Step 4: After determining which product to use, begin cleaning the rest of your oil painting. Use your wooden cotton swabs in a gentle rolling motion. Do not scrub back and forth on your canvas when applying the cleaner. Constantly check your cotton swabs for dirt and grime to ensure you are not removing paint.

( NOTE: We suggest cleaning a 3 to 4 inch square area at a time and then using the neutralizer in the same area before tackling another part of your oil painting. We also suggest doing the oil painting in sections. That is do all the hair of a portrait or a persons shirt as working on similar areas will make it easier to monitor change in color. Take your time! This is not a car wash and something to be rushed.)

Step 5: Next step is to varnish the oil painting with a gloss varnish to preserve your oil painting.

Step 6: Lastly take another picture of your oil paining and compare the two. Keep these as a record to monitor the health of your oil painting.

Follow these simple steps and you will have a treasured family heritage for many generations to come.

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