How Do You Clean Acoustic Panels?

Introduction

With the arrival of Spring, many people focus on the nice weather, rejoicing that they can finally open their windows and clean their offices and homes after being holed up by the cold. While you are doing your Spring cleaning, however, you may wonder how do you clean acoustic panels? They are dusty, have pen marks, and it’s not like you can throw them in a washing machine. We’re here to help, so here is how you should go about cleaning your acoustic panels.

How Do You Clean Acoustic Panels?

AlphaSorb^® Fabric Wrapped Acoustic Panels

If your acoustic wall panels are fabric wrapped, they probably use Guilford of Maine acoustical fabric or something similar.

Guilford of Maine’s 100% recycled polyester panel fabrics are colorfast to both water-based and solvent-based cleaning solutions. You can clean these fabrics with all conventional upholstery cleaning systems. Follow these guidelines when you’re cleaning fabric-wrapped acoustic panels:

1. Vacuum the fabric periodically to remove accumulated dirt and dust. The frequency of this and any other routine maintenance is determined by end use conditions.
2. Blot fresh spills immediately.
3. Ensure that the fabric is adequately rinsed after cleaning, as residual cleaning agents may accelerate soiling.
4. Have the fabric professionally cleaned whenever large stains or an overall soiled condition occurs.

For most water-based stains, a clean, absorbent cloth dampened with a detergent solution (e.g. 1 teaspoon laundry detergent/1-pint warm water) should be applied to the stain. Blot the fabric with the treated cloth, working from the outer edge of the stained area, moving inward.

To effectively draw out the stain, renew the cleaning cloth frequently. Rinse well with clear water and dry the fabric as quickly as practical. Oil-based stains may be treated in a similar manner, substituting a volatile solvent-based cleaner for the detergent solution. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for using such products, and always pretest an inconspicuous area of the fabric for colorfastness to the cleaning agent.

Why Is Cleaning Acoustic Panels Important?

Maintaining the look of your acoustic panels is as important as vacuuming your carpet or dusting around the office. Not only are acoustic panels highly sound absorptive to improve the acoustics within the room, they can also be decorative, and add to the overall look of the space. If the wrap material of the sound absorbing panels goes uncleaned, the colors can fade and eventually look very different than when they were originally purchased. Moreover, this can negatively alter the décor of the room.

Examples of Cleaning Acoustic Panels

When cleaning acoustic panels that are PVC, Ripstop, or vinyl encapsulated, follow the below guidelines:

PVC Encapsulated

AlphaEnviro^® PVC Sound Panel

You can clean PVC acoustic panels with a low concentration of a mild soap in water. Apply the solution with a sponge or soft cloth with a gentle rubbing action. Avoid cleaners with abrasives such as scouring powders or steel wool. Do not use cleaners that contain ketones, kerosene, or petroleum products.

If a PVC encapsulated product should become ripped or torn, repair it easily with matching PVC repair tape. As with all tapes, it is extremely important that the surface be clean and dry. Use enough pressure when applying the tape to ensure proper adhesion,

Vinyl

General Conditions: Remove day-to-Day Soil Ordinary dirt and smudges with a mild soap, warm water, and, if necessary, a hard bristle brush to remove dirt from the crevices of deeply textured patterns. Clean from bottom of wall upward. Rinse thoroughly with clean water from the top down using a sponge.

Deeply embossed wall coverings need extra attention in case suds or loosened dirt lodge in depressed surfaces. Dry wall covering with a soft, lint-free cloth or towel.  For more difficult stains that are only surface deep, we recommend using a stronger detergent.

Not recommended for cleaning are steel wool or powdered abrasive cleaners because they mar the surface leaving an unsightly appearance.

Unlike wallcovering with conventional finishes, use active solvent type cleaning preparations such as nail polish remover, tar and bug removers with Pre-Fixx protected wall coverings to remove residual stains that remain after cleaning with standard cleaning agents.

Clean stains on Pre-Fixx protected vinyl wall coverings with the following methods (We have grouped staining agents to allow you to quickly reference specific cleaning instructions):

Cleaning Agents to Use

1. Use Full Strength household cleaners (non-abrasive type) with water and a scrub brush.
   • 409 All Purpose Cleaner
   • Fantastic
   • Butchers Sun Bath Cleaners
   • Service Master’s Wallglide Plus
   • Other type household cleaners and bleaches
2. Use a solvent-type cleaner with a scrub brush and cloth. For the most effective cleaning, use 100% full strength with a brush. Dry the area with a cloth.
   • Rubbing Alcohol (IPA type)
   • Service Master’s Disaster Clean
   • Mineral Spirits
   • Kerosene
   • Naptha (lighter fluid)
   • Turpentine (paint thinner)
3. Strong active solvent cleaners such as nail polish remover (acetone/water) with scrub brush and cloth.

Tips and Reminders for Cleaning Acoustic Panels

Here are some other helpful tips and reminders for maintaining fabric wrapped acoustic panels.

• Vacuum the fabric periodically to remove accumulated dirt and dust. The frequency of this and any other routine maintenance is determined by end-use conditions.
• Blot fresh spills immediately.
• Ensure that the fabric is adequately rinsed after cleaning, as residual cleaning agents may accelerate soiling.
• Have the fabric professionally cleaned whenever large stains or an overall soiled condition occurs.

Summary

Whatever type of acoustic panel you purchase from us, you’ll be able to keep it clean for years to come. If you are still unsure of what kind of acoustical panel you have or which you need or have additional questions about cleaning your acoustic panels, call us or leave a comment below!