How to Clean a Canvas Painting and Wall Art

How Do You Clean a Canvas Painting Safely?

Start dry and stay dry. Dust is the dirt on almost every piece of art, and a soft brush removes it without touching the surface chemically. Use a clean makeup brush, a soft artist's brush or a dry microfiber cloth, and sweep from the top edge down in light, single strokes.

Avoid feather dusters and terry cloths. Their loose fibers catch on the weave of canvas and on any raised paint, and a feather duster can drag grit across the surface. If the piece is a canvas print, that is the whole job.

How Do You Clean a Canvas Print or Framed Print?

Dust it with a dry, soft cloth or brush and leave water, glass cleaner and soap out of it. Printed pieces carry ink on canvas or paper, and moisture can leave rings or lift the finish, so treat the surface as unprotected. We do not specify a protective coating on a print, so dry dusting is the only method we recommend.

• Canvas Print: dust the face with a soft brush, then run a dry cloth along the sides and the back of the stretcher.
• Framed Canvas: dust the canvas the same way, then wipe the frame separately with a dry cloth.
• Framed Print: dust the frame and the front; keep sprays away, since liquid can run behind the frame edge.
• Poster Print: dust very gently with a dry, soft brush, because paper marks easily.

If a piece arrives damaged or wrong, we replace it free of charge, so contact us rather than trying to repair it. Our guide to canvas versus framed prints explains how each finish differs on the wall.

What Should You Never Use on a Canvas Painting?

Never use water, glass cleaner, dish soap, bleach wipes or a feather duster on a canvas print. The table sorts common household items by what they do to a print.

Watch out: Never spray a cleaner toward a wall that has a canvas hanging on it. The mist travels and lands on the print. Take the art down first or hold a sheet of cardboard over it.

How Do You Clean an Original Oil or Acrylic Painting?

Dust it dry, and test any moisture on a hidden corner before you use it. An original is different from a print because the paint is the surface. The common home method is a barely damp cotton swab dabbed on the back edge of the canvas, and if any color shows on the swab, you stop.

Oil paintings that are yellowed, smoke-stained or flaking should go to a paint conservator, not to a home remedy. Acrylics are tougher but still lift under harsh cleaners. Only varnished acrylics tolerate a lightly damp cloth, and never rub.

A note on terms: a painted original and a canvas print look alike on the wall, but they need different care. The painting medium (oil, acrylic or watercolor) tells you how the original was made, while a print is ink on canvas or paper. Our painting wall art collection holds prints of paintings, which you care for as prints.

Should You Seal an Acrylic Painting on Canvas?

Yes, if you painted it yourself. A varnish coat protects acrylic paint from dust, fingerprints and UV light, and it lets you wipe the surface later. Wait until the paint has fully cured, which commonly takes several days, and follow the varnish maker's instructions.

If you skip sealing, the paint stays porous and picks up dirt more easily. That does not apply to a bought print, which you should leave alone and simply dust.

How Do You Clean the Wall Behind and Around Art?

Take the art down, dust the wall top to bottom and wash only what the paint allows. Dust collects behind frames and on the top of stretcher bars, so a clean wall also means cleaner art.

1. Lift the piece off its hook and lean it face-in against a wall, on a towel, away from the work area.
2. Dust the wall from the ceiling down with a dry microfiber mop or cloth.
3. Check the paint: flat and matte finishes mark easily, while eggshell and satin finishes tolerate a damp cloth.
4. Mix a few drops of mild dish soap in a bowl of warm water, wring the cloth out well and wipe in small circles.
5. Wipe again with a cloth wet with plain water, then dry the wall with a towel.
6. Wait until the wall is dry before hanging the art again.

Pro tip: Test the soap on a hidden patch first, such as inside a closet. Wait 10 minutes and check for a lighter patch or a shiny mark before you clean the visible wall.

How Often Should You Clean Wall Art?

Dust each piece monthly and the walls every three to six months, more often in a kitchen or a home with smokers or pets. A schedule keeps dust from bedding into the canvas weave, where it gets harder to remove.

Pieces near a stove or a bathroom need extra attention. Kitchen air carries fine grease, and a grease film is the hardest dirt to remove from canvas. Hang art in kitchens at least 4 to 6 feet from the stove, and use a range hood when you cook. Bathrooms add steam instead, and bathroom wall decor that survives steam explains how to hang art there.

How Do You Keep Art Clean Between Dustings?

Hang it away from the three things that mark art: smoke, grease and direct sun. Sunlight fades ink over years, and a south-facing window can do it faster than any room dust. Bedrooms, living rooms and hallways are the safest places.

A few habits help. Use a lint roller on the wall edges, never on the print. Vacuum the floor beneath the art so dust does not rise onto it. Our guide to lighting canvas wall art explains how to light a piece without baking it, and our guide to hanging art without nails helps when you take pieces down often.

For a hallway or bedroom, a framed piece is easy to wipe around; see bedroom wall art and framed wall art for living rooms.