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Mar 25th, 2025
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Hi,
We have a metal covered Icon of St.Nicholas in our "Chapel". It is very tarnished.Is it supposed to be cleaned? Someone once told me it should not be cleaned.Only the face and hands show. The crown may be copper or brass? The rest I'm not sure of.I don't think its silver. It has the vestments embossed on the metal and has lot of detail on the vestments also flowers & plants embossed all around it.I appreciate any advise.
Nicky's Baba
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Dear NB, Metal icons can and should be cleaned regularly. However, tradition has it that only running water from a river be used to clean it ("living water")and that the water be then returned back to the river afterwards. The Icon of Our Lady of Akhtyrka was cleaned this way, and another Baba (  ) told the girl who cleaned it to give the water to the people. She did and many miraculous cures were noted. To this day, on the icons Feast, July 15, a copy of the icon is dunked in a vat of water and the water is distributed to the people to take home with them as Holy Water . . . Alex
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SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU! SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU! Hi Nicky's Baba! How old is the ikon? What I do for my ikons with oklads is to just dust them. I've had the ikons underneath restored, meaning I had the old "olifa" removed and some repairs done and new varnish put on them. I was told by the restorer NOT to clean the oklad with anything as this may damage the ikon. I would get intouch with Don Springer in Annandale,VA. His website is www.slavagal.com [ slavagal.com] He has a professional ikon restorer who works with him, she is from Russia. Hope this helps... marko
the ikon writer
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Alex,
Would Lake Michigan water do. I can hear the waves rolling in as I type this. It is very much alive.
Mark,
I don't know how old it is. May I can take a picture of it and e-mail it to you. I was wondering if I used a thick paste that wouldn't run under to the icon. Like Flitz polishing paste. The metal is pretty dark. It would be nice to spif it up a bit.
Nicky's Baba
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Hi Baba
I'll send you my email address and you can send it to me there.
I'll see what I can do...
mark
the ikon writer
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Dear Nicky's Baba, Lake Michigan water will do fine!  But one has to be extremely careful if the entire icon is not covered with metal . . . Happy St Bridget's Day, Old Calendar tomorrow, if I don't speak with you before then! Alex
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Hmmm.
This may be heretical to suggest, but you might check to see if the thing comes apart - then you could clean the metal with impunity. You might also take the whole thing to a jeweler to try & ID the metal. Some icons are covered in metals which originally had protective coatings - over time the coating may need to be renewed - or even re-plated. Obviously you don't want to do this with an antique....
Just muddying the waters...
Sharon
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Thanks for the advice Alex & Sharon.
Nicky's Baba
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Dear Nicky's Baba,
You are welcome - but when it comes to traditional things like icon-cleaning, I'm a real stick-in-the-mud . . .
Alex
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 GLORY TO JESUS CHRIST! GLORY TO HIM FOREVER! Sharon wrote:"...you might check to see if the thing comes apart ..." If anyone does do this, please be very careful. I purchased a small Mother of God ikon with an oklad. It still had the cloth backing which was very ragged. I decided to take the cloth off the back. I removed the oklad and soon was holding 3 pieces in my hands, the oklad and both halves of my ikon. It split in 2 pieces. I did have it restored and you cannot tell where the break took place. mark
the ikon writer
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Mark,
It has small nails around it. I would be afraid that the metal cover would be damaged in removing it. Maybe I can smoosh a cloth in each of the openings to keep out any cleaner. I was thinking of trying toothpaste where its not noticeable. It(toothpaste) cleans my silver cross realy good. Our community doesn't have the funds to bring this to an expert cleaner.
Nicky's Baba
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Dear Nicky's Baba,
Or else you can just leave it the way it is and say it is a priceless antique!
Alex
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SLAVA ISUSU CHRISTU! SLAVA NA VIKI BOHU! Hi Baba! Did you check your private email yet?? Anyway, is the oklad 2-tone (colors) like bronze/dark gold and silver or is it all bronze/dark gold? What you can do if you REALLY want to clean it, use a Q-tip and some GOOD paste cleaner or liquid. This will allow you to control the amount of cleaner and where it goes. DO NOT USE TARNEX or any of that junk you can buy on TV after 2AM. I happen to like the "old, antique" look. I think it adds character to the ikon; especially when you have a nice lamp in front of it and a rushnyk... JMHO... mark
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Thanks Mark,
Sometimes my e-mail light dosen't come on for the private e-mail. It does have 2 tones. Around the face is like a bronze halo?, the rest is a silver type of metal.I will try to get a picture to you soon.
Nicky's Baba
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Dear Nick's Baba
I think your Icon and the one I have on my study wall are one and the same.
At least by the way you describe it.
I think the metal is silver plated and the other gold plated. Personally unless it is real bad I wouldnt do anything to it besides dusting it.
Holy St Nicholas Wonder worker pray for us!
But off the subject, our Church is seeking a large Icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help any ideas on where one can be purchased?
Stephanos I
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