How To Clean An Office Chair

Office chairs are a workplace staple and something that many of us use daily. This frequent usage means that these pieces of furniture can accumulate sweat, oils and debris fast. If not cleaned regularly, the smell, look, and quality of office chairs can start to deteriorate. But how do you clean an office chair? Whether your chairs are fabric or leather, we’ve got you covered. Our handy guide on how to clean an office chair is here to help!

How To Clean An Office Chair: Our Guide

The importance of maintaining a clean workplace cannot be understated. After many years of experience offering commercial cleaning in Milton Keynes, we know exactly how to remove dust, debris and grease from almost any surface or object – and office chairs are no different. Read on to learn how to keep your office chairs in pristine condition, maximise their lifespan, and maintain high hygiene standards in your workplace. If you are interested in our office cleaning in Milton Keynes, please feel free to get in touch with our team.

• How To Clean Office Chair Fabric
• How To Clean Leather Office Chair
• How To Clean A Mesh Office Chair
• How To Clean Caster Wheels On Office Chairs
• How To Deep Clean An Office Chair

How To Clean Office Chair Fabric

When you think of an office chair, you probably picture it upholstered with fabric. While this material is comfortable and cost-effective, it absorbs sweat and oil, and crumbs cling to it. This is why it’s important to thoroughly clean the fabric of your office chair regularly, ideally once a month. If you have no idea how to do this, don’t panic! Here is our simple guide to cleaning your fabric office chair:

You Will Need:

• A vacuum with upholstery and crevice attachments
• Dish soap
• A bowl
• Vinegar
• A sponge

1. Vacuum

Before you can start sanitising your chair, you must remove any crumbs or particles from the chair. You can do this with a vacuum using an upholstery attachment. To remove debris from folds or crevices, you can use the crevice attachment.

2. Clean With Detergent And Water

To sanitise your chair, mix dish soap and water in a bowl. Dampen a sponge with the solution and wipe down the upholstery. Opt for natural, biodegradable dish soap and perform a patch test before cleaning to ensure that you do not damage or stain the chair fabric. You should also wipe down the plastic components of the chair.

3. Wipe With Vinegar

Dip your sponge in vinegar before wiping down your chair with it again. The vinegar will kill any lingering bacteria, as well as soften the fabric. Please don’t worry about making your chair smell of vinegar; the scent should disappear within a few hours.

4. Let It Dry

Place the office chair in a well-ventilated area and allow it to fully dry.

How To Clean Leather Office Chair

Our method of cleaning a leather chair is slightly different from our fabric chair cleaning method since leather upholstery is more delicate than fabric.

You Will Need:

• A vacuum with an upholstery attachment
• Dish soap
• A bowl
• A clean, lint-free cloth

1. Vacuum

Use an upholstery attachment on your vacuum to remove any crumbs or debris from the chair. The bristles of the attachment mustn’t be too stiff to avoid damaging the leather. Also, ensure that the vacuum’s suction isn’t too strong to prevent the leather from stretching.

2. Wipe With Detergent And Water

Add a few drops of dish soap to a bowl of water before using the mixture to dampen a clean cloth. Gently wipe down the chair leather with the cloth, which should be free of lint or lose particles that could scratch the leather. You can also take the opportunity to wipe down the plastic elements of the chair.

3. Leave It To Dry

Place your chair in a well-ventilated area and let it fully dry.

4. For The Best Results: Protect

Apply a leather conditioner to the chair leather to protect its quality and maximise its longevity.

How To Clean A Mesh Office Chair

Mesh office chairs are an excellent choice for those of us stuck sitting at our desks all day in the summer heat or in an over-enthusiastically heated office. However, the downside of these chairs is that they absorb sweat and oils quickly. Thankfully, you can follow these easy steps to keep your mesh office chair clean and smelling fresh!

You Will Need:

• A vacuum with an upholstery attachment
• Dish soap
• A bowl
• A sponge
• A garden hose

1. Vacuum

Use an upholstery attachment to vacuum any loose particles from the chair, particularly on the seat pad.

2. Soak The Chair

You’ll want to head outside for this one! To properly remove absorbed grease from the chair, you’ll first need to wet it by spraying it down with a garden hose.

3. Sponge With Detergent And Water

Mix dish soap and water in a bowl before immersing your sponge in the mixture and scrubbing at the mesh, both on the seat and the front and back of the backrest. Leave the mixture to soak for a minimum of 10 minutes before moving on to the next step.

4. Rinse

It’s now time to pick the garden hose back up and spray down the chair again, rinsing all the suds out of the chair. Because mesh is so absorbant, you will need to turn the chair on its side and push down on the seat pad to squeeze excess soap and water out while rinsing. If you’re not satisfied that your chair is clean, you can repeat steps 2 and 3 until you’re sure that all grease has been removed.

5. Leave It To Dry

Once your chair has been thoroughly rinsed, and you are sure that no soap suds are left, squeeze out as much water as you possibly can from the mesh seat pad before leaving the chair in the sun to fully dry.

How To Clean Caster Wheels On Office Chairs

The wheels of an office chair make it a convenient and comfortable piece of furniture, allowing you to move around and transport your chair with ease. However, these caster wheels are notorious for collecting debris, especially hair, which gets tangled around the wheels, limiting their movement. If yours have been a little stiff lately, here is how to clean caster wheels on office chairs:

You Will Need:

• Dish soap
• A bowl
• A clean, lint-free cloth
• A pair of pliers
• A pair of scissors
• An old toothbrush

1. Dismantle The Wheels

Using a pair of pliers, grip the wheel axel and push one side of the wheel sideways using the side of the pliers until it pops off. You should now be able to slide out the wheel axel, which is still attached to the other side of the wheel.

2. Remove Hairs And Threads

You can now pull away and discard any hairs or threads tangled around the wheels. You can wear gloves if you don’t fancy touching this debris! If things are really knotted up, use a pair of scissors to cut strands loose.

3. Soak The Wheels

Mix dish soap and warm water in a bowl and place the wheels inside to soak for 10 minutes. You can also scrub them with an old toothbrush to remove any lingering particles. Once your wheels are clean, rinse them with plain water.

4. Dry And Reattach Your Wheels

Use a clean cloth or towel to dry off your wheels, or leave them in a ventilated area to air dry. Once your wheels are thoroughly cleaned and dried, you can reattach them to your chair by threading the axel back through the hole it came out of and pushing the side of the wheel back on.

How To Deep Clean An Office Chair

We hope that our above methods have informed you on how to deep clean an office chair, whether it’s upholstered with fabric, leather or mesh. However, if you’d rather leave the cleaning to the professionals, you can get in touch with our team. As experts in commercial property maintenance in Milton Keynes, we have perfected our cleaning techniques to the highest standards and can bring your office or workspace to pristine condition. If your office chair isn’t the only thing in the need of a little TLC, check out our previous article for tips on keeping your desk tidy and organised!