How do you clean an oil painting
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How to clean oil painting
I have an old oil painting (a wedding gift to my mother in 1967) and I happen to know the artist. Question is: I know it hung in a house where there was likely smoker... See more
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I have an old oil painting from the 1830s that I paid an art conservator to restore, but it was expensive. If you're not afraid to tackle it yourself, there's a line of products from a company called Gainsborough specifically designed for cleaning oil paintings: Neutralizer for lifting surface dust and dirt, Emulsion Cleaner for smoke and deep-set dirt, and Varnish Remover if the varnish has yellowed (not as likely if your mother painted it, since it takes decades for varnish to yellow).
You can find their products here: http://www.gainsboroughproducts.com/gains_catalog.html
And their instructions are here: http://www.gainsboroughproducts.com/cleaning_article.html
Is there a signature on it? Please do some research before you start trying to remove anything. It might be worth something.
I would take it to a professional
If I understood your question, your mom did the the painting? A light dusting with a microfiber cloth should remove surface dirt. If it needs more than that, you might want to get professional advice before tackling the project.
Have profesionally cleaned. Why take chances.