Many of us spend a lot of hours on an office chair during a day, without paying attention to its aspect. We tend to take the office chairs for granted until they’re wearing out or broken. But what you may not think about, is that with everyday use the office chairs are becoming a breeding ground for dust, dirt and germs.
So if you ask yourself what is the best way to clean an office chair, you should know that office chairs come in various forms and materials and the cleaning of an office chair varies depending on its material.
Here’s how to clean three of the most popular office chairs, based on their materials:
The upholstered office chair is probably the most common type of chairs that you’ll find in an office, because it’s the most affordable. However, cleaning its fabric can be pretty challenging, since it acts like a magnet for dirt, dust and lint and like a sponge for the coffee spills or any other drips of sauce.
The first step to cleaning an upholstered office chair is to vacuum it, in order to get rid of dust, dirt and debris. Your fabric office chair has to be vacuumed once every few weeks, using the wand attachment of a vacuum cleaner, that is supossed to have a smooth surface and has to be set to a „low suction” setting, in order for you not to harm your office chair. Make sure to vacuum across the seat, the backrest and armrests.
No matter what type of office chair you use, vacuuming it on a regular basis will not only keep your office chair clean, but will also help extend its life, by removing the dust and debris that could degrade your office chair.
Before applying any cleaner on your office chair, look for the upholstery tag. Checking the upholstery tag on your office chair will let you know what type of cleaner you should use, based on its fabric.
For instance, here are a few cleaning codes used in the cleaning of an upholstered office chair:
W: The office chair should be cleaned with water or a water-based product.
S: Use a water-free solvent for office chairs made of organic fabrics like cotton, wool or rayon.
W/S: The office chair can be cleaned using either a water-based product or a solvent.
X: The office chair should be cleaned by vacuuming or brushing only.
After you figured out what is the best cleaning product for your fabric office chair, you can spray on a layer of cleaning foam, making sure you’re covering all parts of the fabric. Use a hard-bristled brush to scrub dirt and a soapy clean washcloath to remove the stains, by blotting the stained area, instead of scrubing it, in order to avoid the stain causing compounds to go deeper into the fabric.
Let the chair dry for at least 10 minutes or longer depending on your office air. Vacuum the chair again, in order to remove dirt left behind by the foam product.
After you finished cleaning the fabric, it’s now time for you to clean the other parts of your office chair.
Flip the chair upside down and remove the wheels, by pulling them out, if possible, or using a screwdriver.
Use a butter knife to remove debris and if there are hairs stuck in the wheels, cut them with scissors and remove them with tweezers.
Wipe the wheels with a soapy cloth, then use a paper towel to dry them and reassemble the wheels.
Use a damp soapy cloth to wipe the arms and legs of the chair, no matter if they are made of metal or plastic material. Use a clean, dry cloth to wipe them dry.
Now that you’ve find out how to clean a fabric office chair, you should take a look at how to clean a leather office chair and a mesh office chair.
