Does anybody know of a way to clean bird carvings that are detail burned and painted with thinned acrylic paints?

They have been sitting on shelves for about 8-10 years and they have gotten all dusty. Other than a few tentative dabs with a dry cloth, I've been hesitant to attempt cleaning something like that. I plan to put them in a display cabinet that will help protect them from dust, but need to get them cleaned up first. Any suggestions or ideas of who to ask will be appreciated.

Try using a small can of compressed air. You can usally pick them up at hobby shops. Just simply blow off the dust. The more you rub them the worst they get. This also works well with my ship models.

[pinefeathers]

Hi Gravel Girl,
NEVER, NEVER, dust your carved birds with a cloth! Use a new, clean, soft bristle brush. Unless these carvings were properly finished, the acrylic paints rub off quite easily. A camel-hair mop (used for water colors) works well as does the canned air. Also, keep your hands off the painted areas. Oils in the skin tend to loosen the paint.
When you are done you are welcome to come and clean my own collection.

My wife cleans my carvings with a special brush that attaches to her vacuum cleaner. She also uses the 'compressed air in a can' for hard to reach places or deep crevices. I stand over her to make sure she is careful.

Good Luck,

Hullo...

PineFeathers, what would be a proper way to finish something like this?

Ok. Cleaned but how do you bring back the luster it once had? Dare you put water on it with acrylic paints?