Cleaning oil

[woodelf]

How do I clean an unvarnished oil painting...cheaply? Ta Muchly.

[Lil O'lady]

Firstly, make sure you will not be ruining the value of the painting by doing this. If it is valuable or potentially valuable (ie a future antique, if you get my meaning) then pay a professional to do the job.
Oil paintings can be badly damaged by solvents.
If the dirtiness is a combination of dust and fag smoke, you can try the following without risking damage:
first, take a couple of god phtos of the painting, to show how it was before cleaning. Then use a clean soft bristle brish such as a shaving brush or new blusher brush, and lightly dust the surface from top to bottom. Oil paint in never completely smooth and the bumps act like little shelves for dust.
If you decide you actually need to clean further, make a very dilute solution of a mild soap (not detergent), such as baby soap, and use lots of very clean cotton rags. Wring out bits of rag in the solution until practically dry and gently dab and roll on paint surface use an out of the way corner (NOT THE SIGNATURE CORNER!) to test and let this dry before you carry on.
You need to use and discard the rags - don't re-use as this risks putting dirt back onto he paint.
In the trade they use cotton buds for this. Lots and lots of them.
You need to avoid wetting the paint surface because the water will seep into the tiny cracks and make the canvas buckle.
Don't rush it.

[Lil O'lady]

...and please remind me to put the right glasses on before I type, so I don't make dft splling mistakes.....

[woodelf]

That's ocay Lil, eye got yower mesij in spight of der er um spelinjs....smile...thanks a lot Lil, the painting aint that valuable, just a combination of dust and fag smoke, but even so will be very careful and take the time.