Winter Deep Clean

What is the winter deep clean?

The winter deep clean happens every year at Blair Castle.  Keren Guthrie, our Estate Archivist explains that the deep clean is a form of preventative conservation.  We are protecting the collections from damaging environmental factors such as mould, pests, humidity and temperatures.

During the deep clean every object, artifact, painting and plasterwork is inspected for any damage or repairs that need to be made and then cleaned of any dust or dirt that can damage items through scratching or acting as a food source for pests.

Why is the deep clean important?

Keren explains that we are custodians of the objects and artifacts of the castle and it is essential that we maintain them for the next generation.

How do we clean the items?

We clean the items using microfibre cloths, specialist natural hair brushes and conservation vacuum cleaners.

How long does the deep clean take?

The deep clean happens every winter and takes approximately 3 months.  We start at the attic and work our way down to the basement, cleaning through over 30 exhibition rooms and more than 10,000 items.