HELP! I recently received an email with the following question:
Dear Frugal Upstate,
I have an old oil painting which needs cleaning. My husband called a profession and he wanted hundreds to clean it. It’s not worth a lot of money, but it means something to me because it hung in my mother’s house and my grandmother’s house. Would you know a cheap way to clean an oil painting?
Mary
I have to admit-I am completely stumped on this one! I know you all are a very creative and knowledgeable group. . . does anyone have an answer to Mary’s question??
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
I asked this question on twitter as well to see if anyone there had an answer. I got this response:
dagsly: oddly enough cleaning it with bread seems to be a popular answer. http://bit.ly/1269xv
Has anyone tried that method?
maybe doughy bread? from a quick google search:
http://www.wikihow.com/Clean-an-Oil-Painting
If you try the bread thing maybe test it on another painting or an inconspicuous portion of the real one.
I would love to know the answer as well!
Bread could well work, I know it can be used to remove any nicotine staining from upholstery that’s been in a smoker’s home so it could be quite good at removing any surface dirt.
They coulld try calling any larger local galleries to see if they cane speak to someone serving an apprenticeship. They may be willing to clean it to add to their experience using pro tools for very little money.
I think this maybe one of those instances when being cheap is not the same as being frugal. While the painting may not have any monetary value it has a lot of sentimental value for her and that should not be dismissed. It doesn’t seem she is in a rush to get this cleaned. I would start saving money now to get this professionally cleaned in the future and return this painting to his original state. I am sure the painting and memories deserve that.
Mercedes
I recently researched an article on this topic so here is the article (free to read!). Obviously, do not try any self cleaning methods on a valuable painting or one that will leave you heartbroken to lose.
http://www.ehow.com/how_5155460_clean-painting.html
I just read in the Real Simple magazine about cleaning an oil painting with a piece of regular/dry white bread and dabbing it over the painting…It might just dust it, but it’s something!
I enjoy your blog so much that it’s a pleasure to be able to help out once in a while. Know how the Smithsonian’s curators clean their paintings? With spit! They keep a handful of q-tips (theirs have a long handle) and a very large glass of water to “refresh” the source, shall we say.
I’m not kidding. I read this in last year’s September issue of the SMTIHSONIAN. The curators said saliva was one of the best natural non-abrasive cleaners around.
Cindy is correct. I don’t know about the bread thing. I worked for a conservator who while cleaning a painting used saliva. I have also heard that the Met collects it from workers. Another way to clean is with mild detergent mixed with bottled water. Test in corners but the basic idea is that you clean the painting without removing the paint so check the swab often and do not rub instead, spin the swab slowly. Another thing to keep in mind is to do fields of color at a time. So sky, Then fields, then trees, etc. Good luck.
P.S. This does not to take into account varnishes and glazing techniques used in painting.
Mario~Thanks for the input! It is always great to hear from an expert on these types of questions.
I tried the spit technique and it really works. I had a couple of 8 x 10 paintings, that were probably from the 1950s, not varnished and incredibly filthy. I used a cotton swab and just stuck one end in my mouth and then gently rolled it across the surface of the paintings, which slowly moistened the grime and removed it. It took me about 2 hours to clean one 8 x 10 painting, so this is very time consuming. A cotton swab can only clean a very small area of the painting and I probably used a hundred double tipped swabs to clean one painting.
Kevin~Thanks for letting us know that it really works! And thank for the link to the scientific article–it’s always good to provide folks with as much information as possible so they can make an informed decision about what to do–especially when dealing with something they probably can’t “fix” if they mess it up, like an oil painting!
By the way, here is a link to a scientific research articl that supports the use of saliva as a cleaning agent.
http://www.jstor.org/pss/1506167