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I have a compressed air canister for cleaning my laptop, and I'm wondering if I could use it to clean dust from my models. Anyone have any experience doing this?

Too strong imo, it will blow minis apart, I suggest using a soft hair brush to dust off dirt, like natural camel hair make up brush, also storing them away or in a closed display cabinet would be ideal.

Also, get yourself a makeup blusher brush for dusting the models before it cakes on (when you will need to wash them AND give them a light scrubbing to deal with them).

I say get your own because your SO will never forgive you if you steal theirs to do the job.

yup, big soft brush is all you need.
it is dust, not mud.

I think if I root around my makeup kit I'll find an old makeup brush I don't use anymore. I'm a little worried that on unsealed minis the wash suggested here might damage the paint. Is it with soap+water or just water?

Considering that models stand up to spraypaint then compressed air shouldn't' destroy them so long as you are sensible - ergo secure the base of the model so it doesn't blow over; hold the can a good distance away; move the can as you spray and don't use it for a prolonged burst.

The greater issue would be if the can has any preservatives inside it, though its if pure air for computer cleaning it should be ok.
I've had my eye on one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073F9NY1X/?coliid=I33THS2GJX7HXS&colid=123GLFJA4CZ61&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it for a while for something to clean out computers and dusty areas without using a can. More expensive in the short term, but cheaper in the long run and totally removes the issue of particles.


That said the makeup brush approach would likely work really well to start with. As would getting yourself some storage that protects models from dust.

 Danielle Rae wrote:
I think if I root around my makeup kit I'll find an old makeup brush I don't use anymore. I'm a little worried that on unsealed minis the wash suggested here might damage the paint. Is it with soap+water or just water?

if you dust off your minis 1 time per month it wont get that far.
but for long term storage, a cloused enviroment is the best.
for you display models, find some space where you live and invest in a model cabinet. for your gaming models, convert a shelf/drawer to spesificly house minis.

I clean them with my airbrush if needed.
A relative has an extensive figurine collection (not tabletop games related), and bought a type of compressed-air blower specially designed for that. You can find lots of them on the web sold as dust blower / computer cleaners. She's pretty happy with it. But her figurines are bigger and heavier than plastic models, so she's not afraid of blowing them away.

I use my airbrush at 15 PSI for cleaning minis without issue. It's just like the inside of a computer case, the forced air carries the dust away.

The one thing you need to remember is that dust doesn't just evaporate, it's in the air and will settle back down on your models if you are not careful. I always air-clean miniatures in a spray booth.

I use IKEA cheap($60 USD) and durable cabinet to store some of my minis, find a store close to you and pick it up with a mini SUV or bigger, my honda crv just fits.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80269122/