anybody know what is the best way to dust off deer shoulder mounts.

I either blow them off with a can of compressed air or I take a swiffer.

pledge wipes.

soak it in bleach then spray it off with a waterhose, and blowdry it off on the hot mode.

wipe em with a paper towel and windex

I do this, except I like to use the power washer instead of the hose

Just use a vaccuum with a hose attachment. Then after that use some "show shean" for horses to add the luster back. You can get this at any farm supply place.

"Please don't use swiffer, pledge, or other chemicals!"

The compounds that make dust stick to the swiffer or cloth will transfer to your mount and turn it into a dust collector!

Many of the oils, polishes etc. will build up, soak into the leather and cause deterioration.

Moisture andliquid cleaners willcoagulate the dust and make a crusty mess.

A quality mount will have a professionally tanned hide and the hair will have a glaze to protect it from uv andhelp stave off dirt and dust abrasion.But keeping a mount clean is themost important thing you can do!

Vacuuming or blowing out the dust with a shop vac or air compressor regulated to 80 lbs or less works very well. This should be done in the direction of the hair patterns, (don't blow against the grain as this pushes the dirt deeper and can kink hollow hair such as deer,causing breakage.

If exposed to them, tabacco and cooking smoke will cause permanant staining and also necessitate mountsneeding professional cleaning at some point.

Mike
www.mikescustomtaxidermy.com

I clean the antlers and eyes with pledge and I use a feather duster on the hide.

The best way is to have it dry cleaned. I was told by a taxidermist to use furniture polish.