Your painting is stretched, framed, and mounted. However, if you think you are finished you are mistaken. Think of the dust that accumulates in your house. Well, that dust is settling on your painting too and it can cause damage if it is not cleaned properly and regularly.

Cleaning an oil painting is fairly straightforward. The first thing you must do is check to see that the painting is in good shape. In other words, make sure there is no cracked or chipped paint. The most common debris on a painting is dust, pet hair, smoke, dander, bacterial growth, and fungus. To remove these from the surface of the painting, simply use a very soft, dry bristle brush such as a baby brush or baby toothbrush.

Sometimes paintings can acquire a sticky, grimy, or oily surface. In this case you will need to use a mild detergent. Dish detergent works well and you can use a soft cotton cloth with a warm solution of water and dish detergent. NEVER wipe the surface. Instead, gently blot it to remove the build up of grime.

Some more inventive methods for cleaning an oil painting include using the low-suction setting on the vacuum and the soft brush attachment. Bread has also been used. Just remember to brush off the crumbs afterward.

Cleaning your painting is a big job and if you are at all in doubt as to the state of your painting or the cleaning procedure, you can always take it to a professional. After all, you want to be able to enjoy your painting for many years to come.

You bought it! That painting you have been eyeing for the last month is finally yours. You take it home and… Now what do you do with it. Well, you hang it up of course, but where. Yes, it really does matter where you hang your painting. This is part of the science behind the art – the science of temperature, humidity, and gravity.

Paintings are finicky things. They like their living conditions to be just right. This means that the environment needs to be relatively cool and free of humidity. For this reason it is important to keep your painting in a well ventilated room and do not hang it over or near any heat source such as a radiator. The humidity can’t be too low or the paint may become brittle and be more susceptible to damage and if the humidity is too high it may speed the process of chemical changes within the paint. Heat will dry the paint and speed up the aging process of the painting. Warm air also carries more dirt and dust in it than cooler air. It is also important to keep your painting from being exposed to ultraviolet light as this can cause the pigments and dyes to fade prematurely.

The other important consideration when hanging a painting is that it not be placed in a high-traffic area or in an area in which it could easily be bumped or knocked off the wall. In addition, if a painting should fall, be sure it is in a place that it will not fall onto another object such as a table or chair in order to minimize the damage. When transporting a painting, be sure to have the hanging place ready and whenever you sit the painting down, face it toward the wall.

Now you are prepared to hang your beautiful new painting. As long as you follow the above suggestions you will be able to enjoy your painting for many years to come and you will be able to pass it on to your children and their children. So choose the room that suites it the most and happy hanging!