Treat your icons with gentleness and respect, because they’re not just religious art. They’re windows to heaven.
Most of the time, caring for icons means leaving them alone. You don’t need to fuss over them weekly. But when they do need attention, a light touch is everything.
Dusting and Cleaning
Dust your icons maybe once a month, if that. Use a soft, dry cloth or a gentle brush. Microfiber works well. So does a clean paintbrush with soft bristles.
Never use water, Windex, Pledge, or any cleaning product. These can damage the paint or varnish, especially on hand-painted icons. Even the prints you buy at church supply stores shouldn’t get sprayed with anything. If you’ve got a laminated print icon and it really needs more than dusting, you can use a barely damp cloth. But honestly, dry is safer.
Some folks ask about using holy water. A few drops on a soft cloth won’t hurt, but you’re not scrubbing. You’re barely touching the surface.
The face of an icon shouldn’t be kissed constantly if you’re trying to preserve it. I know that sounds odd since we venerate icons by kissing them at church. But those icons get worn down over time, which is why you’ll see protective glass over many of them. At home, you can kiss your icons, but be aware that lipstick, chapstick, and even the oils from your skin will eventually affect the surface. If you’re wearing lipstick, kiss your hand first and then touch the icon. This isn’t about being fastidious. It’s about making your icons last.
Where to Keep Them
Icons belong in your prayer corner, ideally facing east. Christ goes on the right, the Theotokos on the left. If you’ve got a cross, it goes between them or above. Other saints can fill in around them, but don’t put St. Seraphim higher than Christ. Hierarchy matters in how we arrange these things.
Keep icons away from direct sunlight, which fades them. Don’t hang them where humidity swings wildly. Here in Southeast Texas, that’s tricky since we go from air conditioning to August heat, but do your best. A climate-controlled room is better than a garage or outdoor patio.
Have your priest bless any new icon before you put it up. This isn’t superstition. It’s how we set apart these images for prayer and veneration.
Handling Icons
When you venerate an icon, make the sign of the cross and bow before you kiss it. Kiss the hand, the foot, the Gospel book, or the scroll the saint is holding. Not the face. Then cross yourself and bow again after. This isn’t just etiquette. It’s how we show that we’re venerating the person depicted, not the wood and paint itself.
If you need to move an icon, carry it carefully. Don’t let it bang against things. Don’t stack other objects on top of it.
When Icons Get Damaged
If an icon gets cracked, faded, or damaged beyond what you can gently dust away, don’t try to fix it yourself. Find someone who restores icons professionally. Your priest might know someone. There are techniques for this, and you don’t want to make it worse with the wrong approach.
If an icon is beyond repair, don’t throw it in the trash. Burn it respectfully and bury the ashes, or give it to your priest to dispose of properly. Icons retain their holiness even when they’re no longer usable.
The Heart of It
Caring for icons isn’t complicated. It’s mostly about not doing things. Don’t spray them, don’t scrub them, don’t leave them in the sun, don’t treat them like decor you can toss around. They’re not magic objects, but they’re not ordinary objects either. When you pray before the icon of Christ, He’s present to you. When you venerate the Theotokos, you’re asking the Mother of God to pray for you. The icon makes that connection tangible.
So dust gently when needed. Keep them in a place of honor. Let them draw you into prayer rather than becoming one more thing on your cleaning checklist.
