Cleaning Your Art - After You Paint (26 of 27)

Cleaning artwork is certainly not a topic that's normally covered in classes, but it really can be an important one. Cleaned the wrong way, artwork can suffer irreversible damage. If you leave dirt on the surface, it can suffer the same fate. Now, I don't consider myself an expert on this, but after a lot of research, I feel it's enabled me to offer you some helpful advice. Let's take a look. First, the initial question that may arise is this: Is it necessary to clean artwork? Well, paintings that are framed without glass are open to the environment (dust and particles in the air) so dusting is an occasional necessity in order to prevent these particles from getting embedded in the paint, even once cured. Homes exposed to dirty air, such as those next to a busy road or where there's a smoker may, over time, notice a change in the overall color of a piece. At some point, these paintings will need cleaning. My grandmother was a chronic smoker, and although she had some beautiful oil paintings in her home, I remember them always having a slight yellow tone to them. Now, this can happen as a result of natural aging, but not to this degree and in her case it was definitely from exposure to daily cigarette smoke. And my parents lived by a busy road for many years. They definitely noticed the impact. Obviously, it's best not to hang paintings in smoky rooms or environments with questionable air, but sometimes that's unavoidable. Paintings framed under glass or acrylic sheet create their own little micro-climate and are not nearly as affected by dust and dirt, but that's not to say that dirt can't get in there. In fact, I've experienced that with my own watercolors. Even though they had glazing as well as a dust cover on the back, somehow over a period of many years, small bits of dirt made their way into the painting area. This meant taking the frame apart, cleaning it all off, and reassembling it. Not my favorite task, but I didn't want the dirt to mar the surface. So, here are some best practices when it comes to cleaning artwork. The best approach is to prevent dirt and damage to begin with as much as you can. Frame your work properly and consider dusting it every six months to a year if the piece is on display. When doing maintenance cleaning of a painting framed without glass or acrylic (this would be an oil or acrylic painting primarily), you have to concern yourself with dusting dried paint essentially. This is what's recommended when it comes to dusting these pieces. And note, it's not recommended if the surface is very matte because it would make it more likely to be damaged. First, select a soft bristle brush such as a sable makeup brush, a sable painting brush, an Asian white bristle brush like a Hake brush or a similar calligraphy brush, a goat hair brush, or a badger-hair blender brush. Those are the materials that are recommended. Feather dusters and dusting cloths are not recommended because they can snag on the painting. Second, check the brush that you plan to use by brushing it gently on the inside of your wrist. If you feel individual bristles, it's too rough. It should feel like one soft mass of bristles. Third, secure a soft cloth to the opening of your vacuum nozzle. Using a vacuum is optional. Gentle vacuuming seems to be acceptable for most paintings as long as there are no loose particles of paint and you avoid having the nozzle actually touch the artwork. Keep it 6-12 inches from the surface if you use one. Fourth, look over the painting surface for any damage or loose particles. If there are issues, it's recommended not to dust the piece. Fifth, in a well-lit area, hold the nozzle of the vacuum (if you use one) approximately 12 inches from the surface. Using your other hand, gently brush the surface with the brush, holding the brush close to the bristles to give you more control. Brush using gentle, short strokes. Now, some sources recommend brushing in one direction, but that's up to you. And lastly, don't forget to dust the frame. Some sources recommend using a dry toothbrush to clean the crevices in the frame, but your basic soft brush or dusting cloth should normally do the trick. When it comes to cleaning a gilded frame, however, special precautions need to be taken. Experts recommend you avoid all liquids of any kind. The method I just showed you is what seems to be best practice. If your painting surface needs more than a dusting, believe it or not, several sources suggest using saliva, actually human spit, to clean oil and acrylic painting surfaces... and even gilded frames! Apparently, its composition is different enough from water to be used fairly safely as a cleanser. The idea is to use a minimal amount of liquid (the saliva) on a cotton swab and then wipe gently on the surface. Don't scrub. Always test a less conspicuous part of the painting first, and it's actually recommended not to eat or drink 30 minutes prior to cleaning (although one source did say to sip water and wait 30 seconds if you run out of saliva). Even the professionals at Getty say that they use this method at times and that it's been practiced for centuries. I mean, who knew? Still... be cautious. Sometimes you'll even see people recommend rubbing sourdough bread or a sliced potato on the surface of a painting to clean it. I don't recommend this, and reliable conservation sites don't recommend it either. Food is likely to leave a residue and would be a calling card for bugs. For a painting with glass or acrylic glazing, just dust the frame itself and wipe the glazing with a soft microfiber cloth. Avoid cotton and linen cloths unless they're specially made for this purpose because they may scratch the UV protective surface. Gently wipe in a circular motion. For small smudges that you may see, try breathing on the glass to gently fog it up and then wipe gently with the microfiber cloth. If further cleaning is needed, check the manufacturer's website for recommended cleaners or try using a small amount of an ammonia-free glass cleaner - again, with the microfiber cloth and a circular wiping motion. It's not recommended to spray directly onto the glazing. Spray onto your cloth and then wipe. And never use paper towels to clean the surface as it can scratch treated glass and acrylic. As far as a specific cleaner, some sources recommend a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half water. There's additional information in the handout. Mats can often be cleaned with a soft bristle brush as well or a microfiber cloth, but sometimes you'll notice a scuff or perhaps a faint pencil line. To remove these marks, you can try gently rubbing the spot with a clean kneaded eraser. If it's a tiny splash of water-soluble paint, I've used a tiny, damp (only damp... not wet) bristle brush and gently scrubbed the spot and then I quickly blot it with a paper towel. You may even have to do this twice, allowing it to dry in between. In a few extreme situations where I needed the mat and I did not have time to order a replacement (and the paint didn't come off with my damp brush), I let it dry and, believe it or not, I very, very gently scraped it with an X-acto knife, just where the mark was. Basically, I was only touching the very, very top layer of the mat. And I was careful and it was a white mat, but it did work. Now, oil stains are pretty much hopeless as far as I know. Lineco makes a special archival cleaning pad that is another option, although some people report it being a little messy. For my unframed water media paintings on paper, I use a drafting brush to dust them off when needed - even those that I'm working on if they're dry and have been sitting for a while. You can also use a clean microfiber cloth. Obviously, you should never brush a painting that's wet or one that has loose pigment, such as a pastel or charcoal... and I'd avoid brushing a graphite drawing as it can smear. Acrylic paintings are especially vulnerable to dust and dirt, as we mentioned earlier. Cleaning with any kind of wet method is not recommended unless it's done by a professional. Although saliva is mentioned on a reliable website if it's minimal, your best bet is to use the vacuum method described earlier. Varnished oil paintings can yellow over time as the piece is exposed to the environment. Varnish that's yellowed should really be removed by professional or carefully tested using a professional-grade restoration product in a ventilated location. But be careful with this one. It really is something that's normally left to professionals. Things to avoid. Never clean a painting with soap and water, or even just water. Water can seep through minute cracks and eventually damage the paint or lead to flaking. In fact, experts seem to agree that you should avoid using the following products to clean artwork: Commercial cleaners, rubbing alcohol, baby oil, wet cloths, blends of oil, acids, soaps, food items, and anything caustic... even solvents for the most part because they need to be coordinated with the type of paint binder. Before cleaning, remember that if you should damage the surface by using methods that are too harsh, it could mean irreversible damage. So, I suggest trying the least invasive methods first... and do some research if you have doubts before proceeding. If the painting you want to clean is extremely valuable, not your own, or is very old, you should use the services of a professional fine art cleaner (also known as a painting conservator). Only consider cleaning works that are your own or are in your collection. In the next lecture, we'll complete the class by talking about shipping art.