Soot on wall painting

Barbara Cerrina <nina [at] digicolor__net> writes:

>We need to clean a ceiling painted with tempera that is actually
>covered with a thick lay of soot.

While a student intern at The American Museum of Natural History, I
would often use a product Called "Groom/Stick" to remove dust and
grime from organic materials that could not tolerate the use of
solvents and/or water. I remember it being described as a "molecular
trap" and it appeared to leave no residue behind although it,
itself, had a distinctive smell. It was used by rolling a small ball
of the rubbery material over the surface to be cleaned.  The ball
itself would darken as it picked up the grime, but did not seem to
redeposit it back onto other surfaces. If the paint is not friable,
it might be worth giving it a try. I believe this material is
readily available from conservation supply companies.

A. Diana Harvey
Sherman Farichild Center for Objects Conservation
Metropolitan Museum of Art

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:46
                 Distributed: Monday, November 23, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-46-008
                                  ***