Artwork
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With unframed paper-based artwork, such as prints,etchings, and drawings it's best to approach cleaning with a healthy dose of forethought and prevention. Paper is easily damaged, and may
medium applied to it has a much more tenuous bond than, say, oil on canvas. Prints, etchings, drawings, watercolors, and pastels just can't be cleaned. So do the wise thing and preserve these pieces of art under glass and framing. That way, you clean the exterior casing, not the artwork itself. And the value and longevity of your artwork increase.
To clean a framed work, take it off the wall and lay it flat. Remove dust by wiping all surfaces--front and back--with a soft, dry cloth. Don't use a feather duster or paper towel, which could scratch the glass or frame. To clean the glass, lightly moisten a soft cleaning cloth with glass cleaner and wipe the surface. Don't spray cleaner directly onto the glass. The cleaner could wick behind the glass and damage your artwork.
When cleaning paintings, there are more don'ts than dos, unfortunately. The good news is that dust doesn't tend to settle on paintings themselves, because they hang vertically. Don't attempt to dust a painting. Feathers from a feather duster or fibers from a cloth can snag on the paint surface and damage it. And leave that vacuum cleaner with its brush attachment in the closest as well. If you simply can't resist dusting a painting, wave a feather duster at it, making sure it doesn't actually touch the surface, and the resulting wind will do the job. Don't blow on your painting--there's inevitably some damaging saliva in human breath.
Dust will settle, of course, across the top of your painting's frame. But you still have limited options. The frames around valuable paintings often have delicate gilding--feather duster and clothes are a no-no an elaborate older frame. (If you have modern frames, they're OK.) But all is not lost. Remove any attachment from your vacuum hose and put a soft flannel cloth over the end, secured with a rubber band, to reduce the suction. Dislodge dust from the nooks and crannies of your delicate frame with a soft watercolor brush and use the covered hose to catch the airborne particles. Or use a baby aspirator as a gentle blowing tool to dislodge the dust.
If there's a smoker in your family, protect your paintings by covering them with glass. (you can wipe the glass, of course, with a cloth spritzed with cleaner.)
Cleaning sculptures is an exercise in the art of light-touch simplicity. Avoid the kind of harsh chemicals you get with commercial cleaners. And avoid soaps of any kind, since it's hard to know
how they will affect various sculpting materials and finishes. Also resist the temptation to use feather dusters, as the feathers can get caught in crevices and break off a piece of the sculpture or damage
veneer finishes. Clean plaster of Paris objects with a cloth lightly dampened in distilled water. For harder, more durable sculptures you can use plain tap water.
OOPS!
The Incredible Shrinking Artifact >
Eileen Clancy tells the sad story of an engraving entrusted to an underqualified conservator. To caretaker, thinking the historic artifact was paper, immersed it in a water bath for cleaning. Routine testing, however, would have revealed that it was actually parchment--sheepskin--which should never come into contact with water. The piece shrank to half its size and hardened into a worthless lump. The lesson, says Clancy, owner of Conservation of Paper, Parchment & Photograph, in Denver: Don't clean a valuable piece of art yourself. For a referral to a professional, call the American Institute for
Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works at (202) 452-9545. Even then, make sure the conservator you're dealing with has experience in the type of object you want cleaned or repaired.
To dust a wood sculpture, spray a dusting product, such as Endust, onto a soft cloth (old T-shirts are great) and gently wipe the entire surface once a week, pulling dust out of crevices. You can use a very
slightly damp cloth on your wood sculpture, too, but take care that no mositure is left behind to damage the wood. This is not speed work. Proceed carefully, because some areas can be more delicate than others. Don't use silicone-based products, such as pledge, which will soak into the wood and build up. If your sculpture is stained from longtime exposure to impurities from a fireplace or a heating system, take it to a professional conservator for advice.
You can also use the dusting method described for paintings: Cover your vacuum hose with flannel, secured with a rubber band. Then use a soft watercolor brush to whisk up the dust, and suck it up with the vacuum cleaner.
To wax a wood sculpture, first remove any buildup from furniture polish or furniture cleaning soap. As a test, dip a cotton swab in mineral spirits and dab it on an inconspicuous spot to see whether it damages the finish. If not, apply the mineral spirits to a soft cloth, such as an Old T-shirt, and gently stroke the cloth over the sculpture. Be careful not to snag the cloth on any end grain of the wood, which could pull wood fibers free. Then apply your wax to another soft, clean cloth (again, a T-shirt) and gently rub it into the surface. Carnauba wax works well and comes in a variety of colors (clear for a white sculpture). Briwax is good, too. Or try brown shoe polish, which will match the color of the wood and help cover any scratches. Talk to a conservator before waxing stone, marble, plaster of paris, or a painted surface.
Also see Photographs
expert advice
Pass on the Potatoes and Bread >
There's a folktale floating about that claims you can clean a painting by rubbing it with a cut potato or a slice of bread. The theory is that mild enzymes or acid in the potato will clean the artwork and that the bread will absorb dirt particles. Balderdash, says Simon Parks, owner of Simon Parks Art Conservation, in New York City. Smearing your dinner on a painting is just doing it damage. In his 30 years of experience, Parks has found that restorers spend most of their time fixing the cleaning mistakes of well-meaning amateurs. So keep your food in the pantry where it belongs.
Asphalt
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Sure, asphalt is tough stuff, but there are a surprising number of cleaning considerations where the rubber meets the road.
To clean your driveway or other asphalt surface, give it a good washing once a year. Remove leaves and dirt with a broom or leaf blower. Mix 1 scoop of laundry detergent in a bucket with 1 gallon of water. Splash some onto the driveway as needed for spot cleaning and scrub with a push broom. Then give it a good rinsing with a garden hose. (High-pressure hoses or steam washing could damage the asphalt.)
Clean gasoline and oil spills as quickly as possible. Asphalt is a petroleum-based material. This means a puddle of gasoline or oil could eat a hole in your driveway. sop up a spill with paper towels and spray away any of the remainder with a garden hose. For a little more muscle, mix laundry detergent in water as described above, and work at the spot with a stiff-bristled scrub brush. And next time, take preventive measures; Lay down some cardboard, newspaper, or plastic when you add oil to your lawn mower.
To remove asphalt stains on clothing, Pretreat the stain with an enzyme stain removal product from your laundry room and toss the article in the washing machine. You also can spray it with an orange oil household cleaner, which will dissolve the stain, but you will have to rinse the cleaner out of the garment before putting it into the washer. If you get asphalt on your shoes, spray them with orange oil cleaner or WD-40 and scrape the asphalt off with a paint scraper or putty knife. (Make sure to rinse your shoes well before you go tromping around the house.)
RULES OF THE GAME
To pave the way for a Happy Driveway >
To remove asphalt on your tools, again the orange oil cleaner or WD-40 trick works. Spray it on, wait a few minutes, and wipe it off. WD-40 lubricant will do the job, too (as will turpentine,
paint thinner, gasoline, or kerosene, but they're not recommended because they're highly flammable). Don't forget the damage that these products can do to asphalt--it stands to reason that you shouldn't be spilling any of these liquids onto your driveway.
To remove asphalt from your car, drop by an auto repair shop or auto supply store and pick up an asphalt- or tar-removal product designed for that purpose and follow the package directions.
Here are some asphalt maintenance tips that will keep your driveway looking better longer:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
With unframed paper-based artwork, such as prints,etchings, and drawings it's best to approach cleaning with a healthy dose of forethought and prevention. Paper is easily damaged, and may
medium applied to it has a much more tenuous bond than, say, oil on canvas. Prints, etchings, drawings, watercolors, and pastels just can't be cleaned. So do the wise thing and preserve these pieces of art under glass and framing. That way, you clean the exterior casing, not the artwork itself. And the value and longevity of your artwork increase.
To clean a framed work, take it off the wall and lay it flat. Remove dust by wiping all surfaces--front and back--with a soft, dry cloth. Don't use a feather duster or paper towel, which could scratch the glass or frame. To clean the glass, lightly moisten a soft cleaning cloth with glass cleaner and wipe the surface. Don't spray cleaner directly onto the glass. The cleaner could wick behind the glass and damage your artwork.
When cleaning paintings, there are more don'ts than dos, unfortunately. The good news is that dust doesn't tend to settle on paintings themselves, because they hang vertically. Don't attempt to dust a painting. Feathers from a feather duster or fibers from a cloth can snag on the paint surface and damage it. And leave that vacuum cleaner with its brush attachment in the closest as well. If you simply can't resist dusting a painting, wave a feather duster at it, making sure it doesn't actually touch the surface, and the resulting wind will do the job. Don't blow on your painting--there's inevitably some damaging saliva in human breath.
Dust will settle, of course, across the top of your painting's frame. But you still have limited options. The frames around valuable paintings often have delicate gilding--feather duster and clothes are a no-no an elaborate older frame. (If you have modern frames, they're OK.) But all is not lost. Remove any attachment from your vacuum hose and put a soft flannel cloth over the end, secured with a rubber band, to reduce the suction. Dislodge dust from the nooks and crannies of your delicate frame with a soft watercolor brush and use the covered hose to catch the airborne particles. Or use a baby aspirator as a gentle blowing tool to dislodge the dust.
If there's a smoker in your family, protect your paintings by covering them with glass. (you can wipe the glass, of course, with a cloth spritzed with cleaner.)
Cleaning sculptures is an exercise in the art of light-touch simplicity. Avoid the kind of harsh chemicals you get with commercial cleaners. And avoid soaps of any kind, since it's hard to know
how they will affect various sculpting materials and finishes. Also resist the temptation to use feather dusters, as the feathers can get caught in crevices and break off a piece of the sculpture or damage
veneer finishes. Clean plaster of Paris objects with a cloth lightly dampened in distilled water. For harder, more durable sculptures you can use plain tap water.
OOPS!
The Incredible Shrinking Artifact >
Eileen Clancy tells the sad story of an engraving entrusted to an underqualified conservator. To caretaker, thinking the historic artifact was paper, immersed it in a water bath for cleaning. Routine testing, however, would have revealed that it was actually parchment--sheepskin--which should never come into contact with water. The piece shrank to half its size and hardened into a worthless lump. The lesson, says Clancy, owner of Conservation of Paper, Parchment & Photograph, in Denver: Don't clean a valuable piece of art yourself. For a referral to a professional, call the American Institute for
Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works at (202) 452-9545. Even then, make sure the conservator you're dealing with has experience in the type of object you want cleaned or repaired.
To dust a wood sculpture, spray a dusting product, such as Endust, onto a soft cloth (old T-shirts are great) and gently wipe the entire surface once a week, pulling dust out of crevices. You can use a very
slightly damp cloth on your wood sculpture, too, but take care that no mositure is left behind to damage the wood. This is not speed work. Proceed carefully, because some areas can be more delicate than others. Don't use silicone-based products, such as pledge, which will soak into the wood and build up. If your sculpture is stained from longtime exposure to impurities from a fireplace or a heating system, take it to a professional conservator for advice.
You can also use the dusting method described for paintings: Cover your vacuum hose with flannel, secured with a rubber band. Then use a soft watercolor brush to whisk up the dust, and suck it up with the vacuum cleaner.
To wax a wood sculpture, first remove any buildup from furniture polish or furniture cleaning soap. As a test, dip a cotton swab in mineral spirits and dab it on an inconspicuous spot to see whether it damages the finish. If not, apply the mineral spirits to a soft cloth, such as an Old T-shirt, and gently stroke the cloth over the sculpture. Be careful not to snag the cloth on any end grain of the wood, which could pull wood fibers free. Then apply your wax to another soft, clean cloth (again, a T-shirt) and gently rub it into the surface. Carnauba wax works well and comes in a variety of colors (clear for a white sculpture). Briwax is good, too. Or try brown shoe polish, which will match the color of the wood and help cover any scratches. Talk to a conservator before waxing stone, marble, plaster of paris, or a painted surface.
Also see Photographs
expert advice
Pass on the Potatoes and Bread >
There's a folktale floating about that claims you can clean a painting by rubbing it with a cut potato or a slice of bread. The theory is that mild enzymes or acid in the potato will clean the artwork and that the bread will absorb dirt particles. Balderdash, says Simon Parks, owner of Simon Parks Art Conservation, in New York City. Smearing your dinner on a painting is just doing it damage. In his 30 years of experience, Parks has found that restorers spend most of their time fixing the cleaning mistakes of well-meaning amateurs. So keep your food in the pantry where it belongs.
Asphalt
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sure, asphalt is tough stuff, but there are a surprising number of cleaning considerations where the rubber meets the road.
To clean your driveway or other asphalt surface, give it a good washing once a year. Remove leaves and dirt with a broom or leaf blower. Mix 1 scoop of laundry detergent in a bucket with 1 gallon of water. Splash some onto the driveway as needed for spot cleaning and scrub with a push broom. Then give it a good rinsing with a garden hose. (High-pressure hoses or steam washing could damage the asphalt.)
Clean gasoline and oil spills as quickly as possible. Asphalt is a petroleum-based material. This means a puddle of gasoline or oil could eat a hole in your driveway. sop up a spill with paper towels and spray away any of the remainder with a garden hose. For a little more muscle, mix laundry detergent in water as described above, and work at the spot with a stiff-bristled scrub brush. And next time, take preventive measures; Lay down some cardboard, newspaper, or plastic when you add oil to your lawn mower.
To remove asphalt stains on clothing, Pretreat the stain with an enzyme stain removal product from your laundry room and toss the article in the washing machine. You also can spray it with an orange oil household cleaner, which will dissolve the stain, but you will have to rinse the cleaner out of the garment before putting it into the washer. If you get asphalt on your shoes, spray them with orange oil cleaner or WD-40 and scrape the asphalt off with a paint scraper or putty knife. (Make sure to rinse your shoes well before you go tromping around the house.)
RULES OF THE GAME
To pave the way for a Happy Driveway >
- Sorry, kids. When your car is standing still, don't turn the steering wheel back and forth. This can damage the asphalt--and your tires--especially on a hot day.
- Don't place heavy or pointed objects on fresh or hot asphalt. Examples: the kickstand of a bicycle or motorcycle, chair or tables, ladders, a car jack.
- Gasoline and oil will damage asphalt, so wipe up spills quickly.
- Use a sealant on your driveway every two or three years to protect it from the elements and maintain that spiffy black look.
To remove asphalt on your tools, again the orange oil cleaner or WD-40 trick works. Spray it on, wait a few minutes, and wipe it off. WD-40 lubricant will do the job, too (as will turpentine,
paint thinner, gasoline, or kerosene, but they're not recommended because they're highly flammable). Don't forget the damage that these products can do to asphalt--it stands to reason that you shouldn't be spilling any of these liquids onto your driveway.
To remove asphalt from your car, drop by an auto repair shop or auto supply store and pick up an asphalt- or tar-removal product designed for that purpose and follow the package directions.
Here are some asphalt maintenance tips that will keep your driveway looking better longer:
- Reseal your driveway with a commercial sealant every two or three years to protect it from the weather and to maintain its looks. If you reseal more often, you'll get too much buildup of the material, which will start to crack.
- Fill cracks in asphalt without a lot of delay. Eventually, your driveway will crack--that's just life on the streets. Use an asphalt-patching product (available at hardware and home improvement stores.) This is not just a cosmetic consideration.Filling driveway cracks prevents weeds from growing in the holes, worsening the situation, and it deters erosion, which can undermine your driveway and cause more cracking.
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