Office chairs deal with coffee spills, lunch crumbs, dust, hair and hours of daily use. Fortunately, most are fairly easy to clean with a vacuum, a few cloths and the right cleaner for the material.
Here’s how to get yours looking (and smelling) respectable again.
Start With a Basic Clean
Before tackling the fabric or individual parts of the chair:
- Spot test your cleaner somewhere hidden and let it dry before continuing.
- Vacuum the seat and back, including seams and crevices where crumbs and dust collect.
- Remove loose debris from around the base, wheels and underneath the seat.
Once that’s done, choose the cleaning method that matches your chair.
Fabric Office Chairs
You’ll need an upholstery cleaner, microfibre cloth and vacuum.
- Vacuum the fabric thoroughly.
- Apply your upholstery cleaner according to the product instructions.
- Gently work on dirty areas with a clean microfibre cloth.
- Blot away excess moisture rather than soaking the fabric.
- Leave the chair to air dry completely before sitting on it.
For a padded seat cushion, use as little liquid as possible. Saturating the fabric can soak the foam underneath and leave you with a soggy chair and potentially an even worse smell.
Mesh Office Chairs
You’ll need a vacuum, mild soapy water and microfibre cloth.
- Vacuum the mesh gently to remove dust, crumbs and hair.
- Dip your cloth into mild soapy water and wring it out well.
- Gently wipe the mesh without scrubbing or stretching it.
- Wipe away any soap residue with a clean, damp cloth.
- Leave it to air dry.
A soft touch is the trick here. Mesh may look tough, but aggressive scrubbing can stretch or damage it.
Leather Office Chairs
For genuine leather, grab leather cleaning wipes or a suitable leather cleaner and a soft cloth.
- Wipe away loose dust.
- Clean the leather using your leather wipes or cleaner.
- Pay extra attention to areas that regularly contact your hands, arms and clothing.
- Wipe away any excess product and leave the chair to dry naturally.
A suitable leather conditioner can also be used occasionally to help keep genuine leather in good condition.
For faux or PU leather, use cleaning wipes or a cleaner specifically intended for faux leather rather than automatically reaching for genuine leather products.
Removing Stains
Whatever landed on your chair, blot first and scrub later – or preferably don’t scrub at all.
For fresh drink spills, press a clean, absorbent cloth onto the area to soak up as much liquid as possible. Then use an appropriate upholstery cleaner to treat what’s left.
For food, remove any solids first before blotting and cleaning the remaining mark.
For tougher stains such as grease or ink, use a stain remover suitable for your chair’s upholstery and always spot test it first.
Most importantly, don’t soak the seat in an attempt to flush the stain out. You’ll probably just push moisture deeper into the cushion.
Getting Smells Out of the Seat
If the seat is starting to smell less than fresh:
- Vacuum it thoroughly.
- Clean the fabric with upholstery cleaner.
- Blot away excess moisture.
- Leave the chair somewhere well ventilated until it is completely dry.
Don’t attempt to solve the problem by drowning the chair in air freshener. A perfumed smelly chair is still a smelly chair.
If the odour comes back once the chair has dried, it may have penetrated the foam inside the cushion and need a deeper professional clean.
Cleaning the Wheels
Office-chair wheels are magnets for hair, fluff and mysterious bits of debris.
- Turn the chair safely onto its side or upside down.
- Pull loose debris away from each wheel.
- Carefully cut away hair or thread wrapped around the axle.
- Vacuum around the casters with a crevice attachment.
- Wipe the wheels with a damp microfibre cloth.
- Dry them before putting the chair back upright.
If the casters are removable, taking them off can make stubborn debris much easier to reach.
Cleaning the Armrests
For plastic or metal armrests, wipe them with a suitable multipurpose cleaner and microfibre cloth.
For fabric, leather or faux-leather armrests, use the same cleaning method you used for the matching material above.
Pay particular attention to the ends of the armrests where hands tend to rest.
How Often Should You Clean an Office Chair?
There’s no need to deep clean your chair every week.
- Weekly: Vacuum crumbs and dust and wipe down armrests and other high-contact surfaces.
- As soon as they happen: Deal with spills and stains before they have time to settle in.
- Every few months: Give the upholstery, wheels, base and armrests a more thorough clean, or more frequently for heavily used and shared chairs.
Cleaning More Than One Chair?
One chair is manageable. An office full of chairs alongside desks, floors, kitchens, washrooms and shared spaces is where things become a little more time-consuming.
We Clean It provides professional office cleaning services in Nottingham for workplaces that would rather leave the big clean to somebody else.
If your chairs – or the rest of the office – need some professional attention, contact We Clean It for a free quote.
Not sure what your chair is made from or which cleaner is safe to use? Check the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions before applying a product. For delicate materials, stubborn stains or upholstery you’re unsure about, leave it to a professional cleaner rather than risking damage.