What to look for in someone who cleans paintings

Factual Questions
1

I want to get a painting cleaned. It’s 4’ x 3’ painting of my grandmother, my father, and my aunt, and of sentimental value rather than real. It’s suffered over 60 years of cigarette smoke. So, off to a restorer. But how do I judge a restorer? Are there qualifications I should look for?

I’m aware of BAPCR, and Google throws up a lot of results, so I’m after specific answers rather than opinions.

2

Perhaps you could check with the curators of any local galleries or historical societies for a recommendation.

3

Maybe you could ask for references.

4

He should be late-middle-aged, have a grey goatee and rimless glasses, speak in precise, prissy tones, play Mozart a little too loudly in his workspace, and have a faint air of suspicion about him.

Yeah, I’ve seen a few too many movies.