How To Clean Deer Mounts With Cigarette Smoke Damage? 

Your precious taxidermy mount deer got damaged by cigarette smoke.  Keeping it clean was already a challenge. So what to do if it gets damaged by cigarette smoke too?

How to clean deer mounts with cigarette smoke damage?

First, get rid of the dry dust on the mounted deer by brushing it off. Now add three drops of dish soap to one bucket of water. Use the solution to cleanse the mounted body properly. Apply vinegar in the same way to get rid of the smokey smell. Lastly, let it dry.

That’s the whole process in a nutshell. Need the details? Then join us in this discussion till the end.

Let’s dive in!

Cleaning Deer Mounts With Cigarette Smoke

Taxidermy also known as deer mounts are favored treasure to their owners. From hunting until the time for mounting the deer head, they are handled very cautiously. 

To keep these trophies to their top shape requires a lot of patience and effort. As much as people like to keep them polished their maintenance is not so easy. 

Even more so if it gets damaged by cigarette smoke. But don’t you worry. We’ve shared with you the exclusive way to deal with this damage quietly. 

Here’s what you’re gonna need-

• Soft bristle brush
• Paintbrush 
• Glass-cleaner
• White vinegar
• Dish soap
• Clean sponge
• Clean cloths
• Cotton swabs/Q tips
• One bucket water

All these components are readily available in any home. So, if you’re ready shall we start?

Step 1: Remove The Dust

First thing first, we need to get rid of the lingering dust over the mount. To do that you’d need the help of a soft bristle brush. Ones that are used for the pets.

Brush the mount gently with the bristle brush to get rid of the dirt. In this step, we’re only going to focus on removing the dry dirt. 

Some suggest using a feather duster or dry rag instead. But if you’re cleaning it after a long time then a bristle brush is preferred. These are some of the best picks for the job-

Be careful not to damage the hair on the mounts. After all, preserving the deer hooves to the antlers takes a great amount of time.

Step 2: Make the Solution

Getting all the dust out of the mount is impossible. So we would need a cleaning solution to do the work for us. But first, we’ve to prepare it to be usable on the mount.

We’ll simply need three drops of dish soap into a bucket of water. We can’t use strong cleaners for this. The solution must be created with mild cleaner or detergent.

Just make sure the solution doesn’t contain any suds in it.

Step 3: Cleanse the Surface

Take a clean sponge and soak it into the solution you just made. Once the sponge saturates the solution properly squeeze out the water. The sponge must be moderately damp. Do not make it drippy wet.

Gently wipe the hairs off the mount using the damp sponge. Wipe it by following the flow of the hair lying on the skin. Otherwise, the hair will get messed up. 

Keep wiping and rinsing the sponge multiple time to get the desired result. With this, the smoke-damaged areas will also soothe and get cleaned.

Any soot and debris from tobacco will be gone along with it. Give extra attention to the areas where the mount got smoke damage. You can clean the antlers this way as well.

Step 4: Deodorize the Mount

This is one of the crucial steps for cleaning your smoke-damaged mount. Even after cleaning with a solution, the mounts will have a lingering smoky smell.

Depending on the damage level the smell can be stubborn to get rid of. Especially in case of cigarette smoke damage. Because cigarettes have a strong smell. 

And many household things absorb the cigarette smell in them. The mounted deer could be one of them. Just applying the solution will not get it off the smell from the mount.

That’s why we’re going to use vinegar. Take a small cloth and dip it in the white vinegar. Similar to the previous step rinse the cloth piece properly. 

Now, wipe down the mount with it. The vinegar will fight off the smokey smell coming out of your mount. It should get rid of any other lingering smell as well. 

Step 5: Clean the Eyes

For cleaning the eyes use cotton slabs. Dip it in the glass cleaner and apply it gently over the eyes. It’ll get rid of any dirt, debris, or, soot from smoke

Step 6: Dry

Finally the last step is to let the Taxidermy deer air dry. Keep it natural. No need to go to extra length to dry it. Lastly, hang mounted deer on drywall to its secured position. 

If this process still doesn’t restore it to its former glory then contact the professionals. 

FAQs

A few more information that you may like-

How long does it take to mount a deer?

Mounting a full deer takes 8 to 12 months. Using dry preservatives mounting a deer head takes 3 weeks. But it also depends on the weather. For deer mounts, the temperature shouldn’t be too high or too low.

What cleaners are not suitable to clean mount deers?

Any strong detergent or soap cleaner is not suitable. It also shouldn’t be too much on the acidic or base side. Strong cleaners containing such entities can damage the mount. Use simple household cleaners like dishwashers in a moderate amount.

How to store a taxidermy deer?

The taxidermy deer should be stored indoors. Specifically speaking, it should be a dark place where it won’t be exposed to UV lights. The store temperature should be between 60 to 80 degrees. Avoid humidity and pack it inside wood crates if you can. Attach the bottom of the crate with screws.

Conclusion

Now you know how to clean deer mounts with cigarette smoke damage. Make sure to keep your precious mont deer away from smoke exposure next time.

Also keep it away from heat, sunlight, and moisture. These can damage your valuable mount deer. 

That’s it for now. See you in another hunting post soon!