Cotton swab

In detail

A cotton swab is the smallest applicator in general use and it appears throughout conservation practice for one reason — it is the only tool that lets a treatment be applied to a few square millimetres and no further. The federal guidance for silver and copper alloys uses it repeatedly: waxy or oily accretions are removed by moistening loose cotton with mineral spirits and wiping; wax trapped in a candle cup is softened by letting mineral spirits stand briefly and then lifted with swabs; and old polish residues, which often contain waxy components, are treated the same way. Three properties suit it to that work. It holds a small, controllable quantity of liquid, so a solvent goes where it is aimed rather than running. It is discarded when soiled, so the soil leaves the object rather than being redistributed — the same principle as the trade's white cloth, at a smaller scale. And it is soft enough for a fragile surface, though the same guidance warns against scratching with old polish residue carried on the swab. The domestic equivalents are numerous and mostly unconsidered: a tap aerator, a hob control surround, a keyboard, a charging port, the gap around a set stone.

What works

• Cotton swab is effective against Silicone residue Established practitioner practice

  Effective on surface waxy residues. Silicone that has migrated into timber is a different problem and the guidance directs a conservator.