A review of the product, its cleaning efficiency and impact when applied to mural paintings

ABSTRACT Many techniques and products used by conservators when cleaning historic buildings involve extensive amounts of water, hazardous chemicals or organic solvents. A majority of the methods are also either very loud or produce a great amount of dust. This is inappropriate when working in a sensitive historic environment and can constitute significant health and safety violations for both the conservator and the public. New methods and materials are being developed with the purpose to find better-suited techniques and products for interior cleaning of historic buildings. About five years ago the cleaning system Arte Mundit- poultices was introduced in Sweden, a product which is almost water-free and developed by conservators to avoid problems with water, dust and sound. The interest for this product is not only increasing among Swedish conservators, but also in Europe as a whole. Therefore, it is becoming ever more essential to evaluate both the product itself and its effects. Arte Mundit was originally developed for interior cleaning of for instance stone, concrete and brickwork surfaces, but has in some cases also been tested on polychrome surfaces. However, no investigations have yet been made to examine what impact the products have on this type of material. The main purpose of this study was therefore to examine if any damage was brought to painted surfaces cleaned by Arte Mundit. The principal components of the Arte Mundit cleaning system were studied and the effectiveness of the efficient substance was analysed through hands-on samples on different types of mural paintings. The study also includes a survey of the use of Arte Mundit in Sweden, from its initial appearance on the market until today. Swedish conservators with experience of working with Arte Mundit were interviewed to map the extent of use and experiences of the product in comparison to traditional cleaning methods for stone as well as mural paintings. The study showed that significant risks are involved when using Arte Mundit on polychrome surfaces. Not only the chemical effects of the product, but also the mechanical/chemical bonding between the latex base and the substrate does in many cases constitute extensive stess and impact on the surface, pigments and medium. This was primarily a problem on damaged surfaces, but also on calcium-based substrates, on high PVK surfaces and on un-varnished oil-films.Titel in original language: ARTE MUNDIT- En granskning av produkten, dess rengöringseffekt samt påverkan på muralt måleri. Language of text: Swedish Number of pages: 50 Keywords: Arte Mundit, cleaning, mural painting, cleaning poultices, latex, EDTA