Cyclododecane (CDD) has been used since 2004 by the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern, Switzerland in a wide range of situations. This article summarises various practical experiences from our institution in the field as well as in the laboratory. Experiences during excavations in Basel led to the development of the ‘sandwich technique’ for block-lifting fragile artefacts, described in this paper. The long-term storage of Roman painted wall plaster lifted with CDD brought compatibility problems to light, in 14 particular with ethyl silicate. Investigating the potential contamination by CDD of samples for C dating has also been a topic of concern, as has the residue question, which has been addressed in two graduate-level projects through FTIR, GC–MS and gravimetric methods. Health and safety issues were investigated with exposure measurements that reproduced work scenarios, for example in a trench or under a fume hood depending on the application method. Finally, a flow chart for decision-making is provided as a tool to help determine whether CDD is suitable for block-lifting, especially when further treatment is required.