Maybe the display shelf got ignored for a year. Maybe you've inherited or bought a painted army second-hand. Maybe the models came down from a loft (which, for future reference, is among the worst places to keep them). Either way you're holding a dusty miniature and wondering what's safe. Here's the full escalation ladder, gentlest first — and the popular “fixes” that strip paint.
First, assess what you're dealing with
- Loose surface dust — sits on top, shifts when blown. Two-minute fix.
- Settled dust — weeks/months old, clings in recesses. Needs brush work.
- Bonded grime — dust + airborne grease (kitchen-adjacent displays) or years of neglect. Needs damp cleaning.
- Unknown paint (second-hand models) — assume unvarnished and fragile until proven otherwise. Test everything on the least-visible model first.
Level 1: Air
A rubber puffer/blower (the camera-cleaning kind, ~£5) removes loose dust with zero contact. Work outdoors or over a bin. Avoid canned air — it's too strong up close and can spit freezing propellant that blooms varnish. And don't blow with your mouth: you're adding micro-droplets of saliva, which is how dust becomes grime.
Level 2: Soft brush
The workhorse. A large, soft makeup brush or unused soft drybrush, flicked lightly outwards from recesses. Rotate the model, not the pressure. For ranked squads, this is a once-over of seconds per model — the maintenance routine in our open display care guide keeps it to minutes a month.
Level 3: Damp clean
For grime that brushing won't lift: lukewarm water, a drop of mild washing-up liquid, and a soft brush. Work over a towel, brush gently, rinse under a slow lukewarm tap, then air-dry completely (24 hours) before the model returns to display — trapped moisture under bases breeds problems. Varnished models tolerate this well. Unvarnished models: dampen the brush, not the model, and accept that heavy grime may cost some paint — which is the cautionary tale for varnishing in the first place (our varnish guide).
Never do these
- Isopropyl alcohol / surgical spirit — it's paint stripper. It will take the grime, the highlight and the basecoat, in that order, instantly.
- Ultrasonic cleaners — superb for stripping models; that's the problem.
- Household sprays/wipes — solvents and silicones that attack acrylic paint and leave residue.
- Hairdryers on heat — softens glue joints and warps plastic. Cool setting only, at distance, if you must.
- A vacuum near the models — thin spears, antennae and banners disappear in a heartbeat. If you vacuum the shelf, cover the nozzle with a stocking and keep it well away from the models.
- Scrubbing — dust is abrasive, so pressure grinds it into the paint and burnishes edges. Light, repeated passes beat force every time.
After cleaning: stop it recurring
Cleaning a neglected army once is satisfying; doing it annually is a chore you can design away. The hierarchy: varnish makes every future clean safe; a glass cabinet cuts dusting from weekly to quarterly (buyer's guide); tiered stands mean models are handled by the stand, not by their paintwork, during cleaning — lift the whole row out, dust the shelf, done. WarSplay® stands are matte-finished (dust shows less than on gloss) with rubberised feet, supporting 25mm–100mm bases — compatible with Warhammer 40,000® miniatures and other popular 28mm–40mm systems.
Frequently asked questions
How do I clean miniatures I bought second-hand?
Assume fragile: puffer first, soft brush second, and test any damp cleaning on the least valuable model. If paint lifts, stop and accept brush-only cleaning — or seal with varnish first and clean after curing.
Can I rinse painted miniatures under the tap?
Varnished acrylic paintwork: yes, lukewarm and gentle, dried thoroughly. Unvarnished: dampen a brush instead. Never hot water — it softens plastic and glue.
How often should displayed miniatures be dusted?
Open shelves: a quick brush monthly. Inside a glass cabinet: quarterly. The five-minute habit prevents every harder level of this guide.
WarSplay® is an independent UK brand of Blubbercove Ltd. Trademarks are used for compatibility description only; see the disclaimer in our site footer.