Q - I have a wall panel which is made of silk material and has a few greasy stains which have come from oily hair or oily hands. Please advise what technique and what chemical to use.
A - Fabric covered walls, panels, and partitions are usually cleaned with hot water extraction using a low wetting or "dry" upholstery tool.
In your case, silk can have issues that the more commonly used synthetic materials will not. Silk may watermark, fade, or stretch if not cleaned very carefully. While there are times that it is safe and makes sense to clean silk furniture fabrics with hot water extraction, I do not recommend you attempt to clean silk wall or partition materials in this fashion.
Its recommended that you clean as much of the surface as possible with dry cleaning sponges. The areas that have the greasy hand prints can be cleaned by applying a dry cleaning solvent with a towel, then carefully wiping the more heavily soiled areas. Further soil may be extracted with dry towels afterward.
Be very careful not to spray apply the solvent, especially if it is a volatile solvent. Volatile solvents that are applied by means of spraying may evaporate quickly, leaving circles or "watermarks" wherever residual soil exists. By carefully apply the solvent by means of blotting, such rings should not exist after cleaning.
If the body oil is not removed by dry cleaning solvent, you can try a neutral detergent, such as Prochem Fine Fabric Shampoo or Bridgepoint Fabric Shampoo. Mix either of these shampoos in a bucket of water, dip a clean white towel in the bucket, wring it out "dry", then fold the towel into a flat pad and carefully wipe the area in one direction.
CAUTION: The cleaning ability of these products is such that they might create areas that look cleaner when you are done. Be prepared to lightly wipe the entire panel to blend in the appearance, or the result may look worse when you are done.
