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After investing in artworks you love, you hang them and appreciate the way they elevate your space. Do you do anything else? No?

If not then you should. Clearly, the artworks won’t keep looking as fresh and new as they were while you hanged them for the first time. They do accumulate specs of dust, particles, oil, and grease. A little care and effort are required if you want to save the modern paintings from such deterioration. You might need to store them, keep hanging them. Whatever, it is that you want to do with your art, in this blog, we tell you the finest ways to clean, hang or store your art. It is better to care for them now rather than waiting for the high time to do so. So, keep reading.

Q. Let us assume you have a painting that was stored since years somewhere in your house. It is all things filthy and mucky. How would you clean such a painting on your own?

A. Use a white cotton cloth dipped in a gentle soapy water. We recommend you to use soaps that have olive oil in them as an ingredient. Cleaning the work using this method will make you realize how grimed your work was, it will start coming off. To clean the crevasses present in the modern paintings, use cue tips.

However, if in case, the paint of your painting is flaking off, it would be wiser to take it to an art restorer. Moreover, your canvas might have loosened, a way to tighten it again is to spray some water on the backside of the canvas. After doing so, leave it to dry in the warmth of the sun for a few hours. Please note that this tip is for modern paintings that are made on canvas and not paper.

If you want to renew a painting made on paper, see if it is made of watercolors or acrylics, oil or some other paint. To know this, rub a damp cloth on the mat. If the paint can be seen on the cloth, it is made of watercolors. If so, never use water to clean such painting. Simply use a brush to dust off the particles that have settled on the painting.

If the painting is not water based, cleaning with a soft damp cloth that only has a hint of humidity would be enough to clean the painting.

After cleaning the painting or getting it cleaned from an art restorer, get the mat changed. The acid-free mat should be used to prevent the painting from getting damaged further.

Q. What should be done to maintain the paintings we have hanged?

A.  Clearly, it is better to clean the modern paintings on a regular basis, as it later gets hard to restore the paintings to their original form. So, make it a point to dust the paintings you have, whether they are framed or unframed. Also, don’t keep paintings made on paper in humid areas like the kitchen and bathroom. To clear the water stains from a non-water-based painting is to use a mild solution of soap and water to wet the canvas and then clean it from the parts where the stain is. Let it dry and we bet the stain will vanish just like magic.

Q. What can be done to limit damage from sun rays?

A. Though you should not hang the painting at a place where the sunrays are falling directly, you should get it framed with a UV protected glass if you still want to. Don’t look at the cost while getting the painting framed and getting the best UV protection. The higher the UV protection is, the better it is.

Q. How can paintings on canvas be protected from sun damage?

A. Whether you have bought the oil paintings from a place that mentioned ‘oil paintings for sale’ or from somewhere where it wasn’t on sale, you know the fact that oil paintings are quite rigid than the paper ones. However once exposed, even they lose their original color. However, if you still find the spot in your space that has sunrays falling on it as the perfect one to hang your painting, get it framed with a UV protected glass.

We hope we were able to answer the frequently asked questions pertaining to cleaning the painting you own or maintaining them. If you have any other questions that have not been answered in this blog, let us know in the comments section below. We will reach out to you soon.