How to Clean an Oil Painting

cleaning an oil painting

If you are in possession of a beautiful oil painting that could use a little touch up, cleaning oil paintings can help aged artwork get back to its original vivid colors and enhance smalls details that were lost over time.

How Do You Clean an Oil Painting?

Cleaning an oil painting can be tricky. One wrong move and you might end up damaging the piece instead of improving it. Because this can be such a delicate process, our Palm Beach County art framers are sharing some tips on how to clean an oil painting to help it get back to its former glory.

Hire Professionals

Oil painting restoration is complicated, and if you are not sure what you are doing, something could easily go wrong. There is no substitute to hiring professionals. They know how to clean and restore an oil painting correctly because they have years of training. At Rosenbaum Framing, we offer art conservation services so that your painting can look as good as new without causing damage.

Use the Right Products

If the paint on your oil painting is not cracked or flaking, you can use a soft brush with natural hair bristles to remove dust. Don’t try to use typical household cleaners as they could damage the paint or change the color in a way you do not want.

Practice Clean Habits

When trying to clean an oil painting, be sure that you practice good cleaning habits. Wash and dry your hands before you begin, place the painting on a clean surface, and use a high-quality,new brush free of any residue.

Take Your Time

You need to be careful when cleaning oil paintings and that means taking your time. Be patient and gentle when working with the artwork in order to avoid damage. Rushing through the process is the easiest way to make a costly mistake.

Get it Framed

After you go through all the trouble of cleaning or restoring your oil painting, it is time to display it proudly. You may want to get a new frame or get the old one restored. Our fine art framing services can help you with both.

At Rosenbaum Framing, we offer everything from custom framing in Boca Raton to installation services to help you through every step of your framing journey. In business for more than 40 years, we have the experience and expertise you need to ensure the highest quality and professional work when it comes to framing your artwork.

Stacey Moss

Author: Stacey Moss

Stacey Moss is a trained artist who has been custom framing for more than 27 years. She excels at finding the perfect moulding to complement whatever is being framed, and she treats every piece she frames as though it were a priceless piece of fine art. If it's valuable to our client, it's valuable to her.