Oil and acrylic paintings often suffer from a layer of dust forming on their surface.
Acrylic paintings especially find this occurs due to thick layers of paint, known as impasto, allowing small crevices for atmospheric debris to fill.
Oil paintings may attract dust due to old varnish, this was typically made from tree resin and as a natural product can decay and remain slightly sticky over decades and even centuries.
As long as there is no sign of flaking paint or heavy cracking to the surface of the artwork, a dry microfibre cloth or light feather duster is the best way to clear a thin layer of surface dust.
Paintings should never be cleaned with liquids such as water, soap, or common household cleaning products.
Sometimes you may find that the discolouration is trapped within varnish, in this case your artwork will require a full varnish removal by a professional conservator to achieve a clearer appearance.
If your painting needs professional cleaning by a trained conservator, please get in touch with us for a no-obligation quote and recommendations via [email protected]
