How Do You Clean Old Oil Paintings?
If you own an older oil painting, you might have noticed that it collects dust and other dirt rather easily. Instead of just letting the debris build up, or taking the painting to an art detailer for hundreds of dollars, try cleaning the painting yourself with only a few special tools. Place the oil painting flat on a table. Put on a pair of surgical gloves because you do not want the oil from your skin tampering with the painting. Add neutralizer to a cotton cloth and wipe the oil painting down gently. Avoid putting pressure on the painting. Neutralizer can be purchased at arts and craft stores near the paint section. Place some emulsion cleaner on one cotton swab and some varnish remover on another. Test the two in one of the corners of the painting to see which cleans better. Apply more neutralizer to the cotton cloth and wipe over the area you just cleaned with the varnish or emulsion cleaner. This prevents any of the chemicals from damaging the painting. Roll the cotton swab over
