The composition and degree of degradation of unearthed silk relics vary, as do the dyes that color them. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the right cleaning materials and techniques, case by case. The surface contamination of the relics was classified into the categories (oil, solid fats, soil and blood) and experiments were designed to optimize the composition of cleaning agents. Finally the natural surfactant, Alkyl Polyglycoside (APG), was selected as the basic recipe and a mild and efficient waterbased cleaning agent for cleaning the surface of silk artifacts was successfully developed. The rate of decontamination of the newly developed cleaning reagent is very highas high as 98% in some cases. Changes in silk tensile strength and the degree of fading are evaluated before and after cleaning. The results suggested there was little difference. The research provides a new way of thinking about the preparation of agents to clean unearthed silk relics.