Getting Ready—Cleaning the Item
GooGone removes chewing gum, grease, tar stickers, labels, tape residue, oil, blood, lipstick and mascara, shoe polish, crayon, bumper stickers. Works on carpets, upholstery, clothing, wood, and cement.
Canned air is a widely used cleaning tool.
There are a variety of soft brushes available at art supply, office supply, and hardware stores.
Before photographing any item, you should clean it. There is nothing as distracting as dust, dirt, or fingerprints, especially when photographing close-up.
When cleaning, the first rule is to "do no harm". With many items, such as coins, furniture, and metal objects, overcleaning, even when well done, reduces values rather than increases them. With other objects, especially optical devices, you can actually damage the object. Whenever you use any
cleaning product, be sure to read the instructions carefully, and then follow them. There are so many different kinds of items and surfaces to be cleaned, it's impossible to generalize. However, here are some things to keep in mind.
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