Charcloth - just PM'd you a moment ago on another matter, tthen ran across this.

I've got a tenor banjo I put a deerskin head on a couple of years ago. They're neat. For cleaning I would carefully try some sort of non-corrosive leather cleaner -maybe a shoe store would have something.

Of course they're rawhide - if you know any buckskinners who deal in parfleche cases maybe they have something for cleaning, like for taking the paint off ?

In terms of keeping them tight, I've heard of the old timers lighting a match or a candle and holding it near enough the head to gently heat & tension it. Stop if it smells like you're singeing something!!