As an office worker, you likely spend a significant portion of your day sitting in your chair. It’s a crucial part of your workspace that greatly impacts your productivity, comfort, and overall well-being. However, with frequent use, your chair can quickly become a hotbed for germs, allergens, and debris. Dust, crumbs, and hair can accumulate in the nooks and crannies, creating an unhygienic environment. That’s why it’s mandatory to learn how to properly clean and maintain your office chair. By following the right cleaning methods and using appropriate supplies, you can keep your chair cozy, comfy, and hygienic, ensuring a positive and productive work experience.
In today’s world, especially in the wake of the global pandemic, maintaining a clean and hygienic workspace is more important than ever. Regularly cleaning your office chair not only promotes a healthier work environment but also prolongs the life of your furniture. Neglecting to clean your chair can lead to the buildup of germs and allergens, which can negatively impact your health. Prolonged exposure to an unclean chair can make you more prone to infection, causing you to suffer from illness and potentially affecting your performance and revenue. To avoid these negative impacts, it’s essential to learn the proper ways to clean your office chair. By following the manufacturer’s guidelines, using the right cleaning supplies, and establishing a regular maintenance routine, you can ensure that your chair remains a cozy and comfy part of your work journey.
How to Clean an Office Chair? A Simple Method for Beginners
Office chairs come with a lot of crannies and nooks where hair, food particles, dust particles, germs, and other allergens can accumulate. Their accumulation increases the risk of infections. This is why you must know the cleaning method by yourself instead of relying on others. Just as you would learn how to clean camping chairs naturally for outdoor adventures, maintaining your office chair requires similar attention to detail. The best thing is that every office chair from a reputed brand comes with cleaning instructions that are either available on the manufacturer’s website or connected to the chair.
For cleaning an office chair, you will need the following supplies: a spray bottle, alcohol, a hand vacuum, and a duster. After collecting these accessories, look for the tag attached to the underside of the seat. This tag contains a cleaning code. The cleaning code will suggest to you the cleaning agent that would be best for your chair. For instance, some chairs can only be treated with dry-cleaning solvents, while others need water-based agents. Look for the need of your chair and then move to the next step.
Office chairs are usually made of the following materials: vinyl, leather, polyurethane, or plastic mesh. The best part is these materials are easy to clean if you have access to a vacuum cleaner, dishwashing soap, a spray bottle, a small bowl, or a duster. Mostly, cordless stick vacuums or handheld vacuums are used for cleaning the chairs as these vacuums don’t take much of your time. In most cases, these vacuums have attachments that are primarily designed to remove allergens or dust particles from the upholstery.
Dishwashing soap of any kind will clean the chair like nothing else. Dishwashing liquids are usually added in drops to lukewarm water and stirred until a cloudy solution is formed. With the help of a soft cloth or cotton t-shirt, the solution is spread on the chair gently. After that, let it air dry. Most people use a duster for cleaning the parts of the chair that are too tight for vacuum. If you can sense that stains are large, you can use vinegar, alcohol, or laundry detergent instead of dishwashing liquid.
How to Clean an Office Chair – Final Statement
Office chairs are frequently used chairs, which is why they become an easy target for the accumulation of dust and dirt particles. Their accumulation increases the risks of infection. This is why it is always good to know when and how to clean an office chair.
If stains are not deep, you can rub them with a solution of water and soap. If spots are deep, you will have to clean them with alcohol or other cleaning agents. If these agents don’t work for you, you can switch to an alcohol-based cleaner. To find out which of these treatments will work for you, you can start with a small area. Apply the solution to a smaller area and let it dry. Testing is also important to ensure that the solution is not harmful to the fabric.
Hopefully, these tips and tricks will benefit you in real life. For a detailed description, you can reach out to us!
How Often Should You Clean an Office Chair?
The office chair needs regular maintenance. Daily, you need to make sure that you instantly clean up stains or spills by rubbing them with a water-and-soap solution. This will prevent strain from becoming deep and permanent. If stains are already deep, you will have to use alcohol or laundry detergent for cleaning them. This regular maintenance takes no less than 5 minutes. After rubbing, you will need around 10 minutes to let it air dry. Air drying is important as it provides your chair with a chance to freshen up and get rid of germs and dust particles.
For deep cleaning, you might have to invest between 30 to 45 minutes. If you use a handheld vacuum for cleaning the chair, you will need 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the kind of cleaning your chair needs. Whenever you clean the chair with the solution, make sure you calculate its amount perfectly. Otherwise, the chair will absorb the solution, which will cause the inner material to be damaged.
How to Air Dry an Office Chair?
For drying the chair, you need two clothes. First of all, dampen one cloth with clean water and spread it over the chair’s surface to get rid of soap residues. After that, use the second cloth to dry hard surfaces like the legs of the chair, armrests, or seat coverings. Then, allow the parts to dry. If you don’t have enough time, you can use a hair dryer to absorb moisture from the surface of the chair.
How long will this take to clean?
Having spent years working from home, I’ve learned that keeping my office chair clean isn’t time-consuming. A thorough cleaning of the seating area, back, arms, feet, castors, and crevices to eliminate dirt, debris, and bacteria typically takes about 20 minutes. This task becomes quicker and easier when done once a month. The process is simple! On a daily basis, I immediately clean up any spills or stains by blotting them with water or a water-and-soap solution to prevent them from setting deeply – this takes just 5 minutes.
For regular maintenance cleaning, I spend 15 minutes (plus air-drying time) to freshen up my chair and remove dust and germs. I do this weekly, usually when I vacuum or sweep my workspace or wipe down my desk. For stubborn stains or seasonal deep cleaning, I set aside about 30 minutes. These timeframes have worked well for me over the years, keeping my chair both hygienic and professional-looking without requiring excessive effort.
How do you clean a smelly office chair
When my chair started smelling funky, especially after becoming quite old, I discovered a simple yet effective solution. First, remove any excess debris, spillage, or accumulations from the fabric and stuffing. The persistent odour is likely coming from deep within these materials. Once you’re confident the seat is visibly clean, generously cover the entire surface with bicarbonate of soda. This miracle powder absorbs smells rather than masking them. Leave it overnight to work its magic.
In the morning, thoroughly vacuum all the powder away, then spray a light mist of water mixed with your favourite essential oil across the chair. Personally, I love lavender for its calming properties, but citrus oils work wonders too! This method has saved me from replacing perfectly functional office chairs simply because of lingering odors that regular cleaning couldn’t eliminate.
Why do mesh chairs get so dusty?
Mesh chairs are great for keeping you cool and comfortable at the same time while working long hours. However, there is a downside to this design that’s worth noting. The structure consists of many tiny surfaces, crevices, and gaps which creates more surface area for dust to settle on than traditional upholstered options. Because of this unique construction, regular cleaning and dusting are absolutely essential to maintain both the appearance and functionality of your mesh chair. I’ve found that addressing these areas weekly prevents buildup that becomes much harder to remove later.
How do you clean non-removable chair cushions?
If you know how to clean fabric chairs, you can easily turn your hand to cleaning non-removable chair cushions without much trouble. In most cases, you’ll only need a sponge or microfibre cloth and some hot, soapy water to get the job done. I’ve found that gently rubbing the solution into the dirty areas of the cushion before leaving it to air dry works wonders – even for my decade-old office chair that I thought was beyond saving!
It’s incredibly important to give your chair lots of time and proper ventilation before you use it again. Sitting on a still damp cushion can lead to more odours and mould developing over time, which I unfortunately learned the hard way. Whenever possible, take the chair outside to dry in fresh air; otherwise, simply open a window and give it the time it needs to dry fully. This patience pays off with a fresher, cleaner seat that doesn’t develop musty smells later.
How do you clean a chair without a steam cleaner?
Cleaning your office chair without a steam cleaner is actually relatively easy and something I’ve done dozens of times. Simply combine hot soapy water with a sponge and a little elbow grease to do the bulk of the work effectively. Unlike steam, however, a damp cloth will leave damp patches on the fabric that won’t disappear immediately. That’s why proper ventilation and time are so important in this process. Always give your chair the chance to dry out completely before using it again to prevent mildew issues. You can speed up the process by taking the chair outside in fresh air or using fans to increase airflow around the damp areas – I’ve found placing a portable fan directly facing the seat works wonders for cutting drying time in half!