Keep oil paintings looking like new with occasional cleaning.
Many people own old oil paintings painted by family members or friends that they enjoyed over the years, but which may have become a little dingy or faded. Over time, oil paintings can become dirty due to smoke, grime and dust. Most of the time, a good cleaning is all that is necessary to restore the painting to its original luster.
Examine the Painting
Use a soft brush, such as a clean paint brush to loosen dirt and dust on a painting
Examine the oil painting carefully, including the back. Look for dust, grime, cracks, and varnish that is yellowing or darkening. Paintings done before the 1940s have a coating of art varnish to protect the painting as well as give it sheen. Modern paintings or those painted after 1940 generally don't have the added varnish.
Lay the painting, while still in the frame, on a flat surface. Protect the frame by laying it on an old sheet or brown paper with the back side up. Vacuum or brush any loose dust from the back of the painting.
Removing the Frame
Remover nails from a wood frame to remove the canvas
Place a hard piece of material, such as a piece of Formica or other hard surface under the painting.This keeps the painting from losing its shape if you press too hard on the painting.
To remove wood frames, extract nails with pliers. Place a metal ruler or other flat metal object on top of the frame and under the pliers to level the pliers to avoid denting. Mark where the nails were with a pencil or masking tape so you can replace them once you complete the cleaning. Bend wire nails back instead of removing as you can bend the wire nails back into place when re-framing the painting. Use a vacuum cleaner's crevice tool to remove dust between the frame and painting.
Other frames surrounding a painting may have clips. Remove the paper dust cover on the painting, check for a hole in the paper, and simply rip it off. This allows you to see how the painting attached to the frame. Use a screwdriver to remove the clips.
Removing the Foxing
Foxing is the age-related area of paper or canvas that looks brown or reddish in color. The cause of foxing is not well known, but is thought to be a type of mold or mildew or to be caused by sunlight. Household bleach usually kills mildew, but is hard on paper and canvas. An effective method is to clean with a three percent hydrogen peroxide applied to a long wooden Q-tip. Use a little at a time and dampen the swab but do not soak it. Test an area of the painting, such as on the bottom corner of the painting, to test. This application will fade the brown/reddish spots.
Cleaning the Canvas
If the painting looks as if it needs just a quick cleaning, cut an onion in half and carefully rub the painting lightly with the onion on small areas at a time. Slice a small piece of the onion off when it becomes dull or dirty. Wipe immediately with a damp, but not wet sponge. Sometimes this method will clean the painting effectively without damaging the canvas.
If the painting needs deeper cleaning, begin at a corner of the painting, and apply an artist neutralizer to a cotton swab or a piece of cotton cloth and carefully wipe the painting in a circular motion to clean dust and dirt.
Careful cleaning and attention to detail will keep your painting lasting for a lifetime.
