Desk jobs mean a lot of time sitting in the same chair, day after day. Just as you wouldn’t wear the same pair of pants endlessly without washing them, you shouldn’t ignore cleaning your office chair. Clean office chairs should be a part of any regular office cleaning. It can improve the overall health and appearance of your office and it’s quite a simple job.
Why you should clean your office chair
There are three key reasons for regularly cleaning your office chairs:
- Employee health: Keeping the office clean helps maintain employee health and prevent the spread of viruses. As chairs are used frequently and may be used by multiple people, they can spread viruses.
- Employee morale: It’s never nice to work in an untidy and dirty environment. Employees are more likely to enjoy coming to work if the space is clean and tidy, including their chairs.
- Client perception: A clean office makes a good impression on clients, whether they’re new or regulars. You wouldn’t want a client to sit in a dirty chair either.
Now you know why regularly cleaning office chairs is important, you can get started on cleaning yours.
Check the care tag
Before starting any cleaning, check the care tag of the chair for any care instructions. As not all office chairs are made from the same materials, they will need to be cleaned differently.
Look for any mention of solvent-based or water-based solutions. This may be written as ‘S’, ‘W’, ‘SW’ or ‘X’. ‘S’ means you should only used solvent-based cleaning solutions while ‘W’ means you can only used water-based cleaning solutions on the chair. ‘SW’ or ‘S/W’ means you can use either. ‘X’ means you should only vacuum the chair and not use any cleaning solutions.
Start with solids
Everyone is guilty of snacking or having lunch at their desk. Unfortunately, this means crumbs and other debris can fall onto your chair. Using a paper towel, grab as much of the solid debris as possible. Try not to rub at the chair as you do this; it can force the debris into the fabric of the chair.
Vacuum the chair
Once you’ve gotten rid of much as the debris as you can with your hand, get the vacuum. Use an upholstery attachment (it should have a wide plastic end and a brush underneath). Go over the seat, back and arms.
To get into tight places and cracks, use a crevice attachment. This will look like a long, small, angled nozzle.
Clean the chair
Following the advice on the care tag, get your solvent-based or water-based cleaner. For ‘S’ chairs, apply a little of the solvent to a dry cloth and blot as needed. Focus on any stains. Use a lightly damp cloth to remove any leftover solvent so it doesn’t stain the chair.
For ‘W’ or ‘SW’ chairs, create a solution of water and biodegradable dish washing detergent. Dampen a rag with the solution and wipe down the chair. Do not rub or scrub.
If you haven’t used this method before on your chair, test the solution on a small, inconspicuous part to make sure it doesn’t stain.
Don’t forget to wipe down the arms and legs with the damp cloth.
Wipe the chair clean with a dry cloth and let the chair air dry.
Deal with stains
If there are stubborn stains on an ‘S’ chair, apply more of the solvent-based cleaner and thoroughly blot the area. Remove any leftover solvent.
For ‘W’ and ‘SW’ chairs, put a few drops of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball. Rub the stain and it should disappear. Remember to test this method on a small, inconspicuous part of the chair first.
Clean the wheels
Turn your chair over and remove the wheels. You might need a screwdriver.
Using a butter knife, scrape away larger debris. Slip the knife between the wheel and cover to make sure you get to anything stuck in the wheel.
If there is hair stuck in the wheel, cut the hair with scissors. You can then pull it out with your fingers or tweezers.
Once you’ve gotten the debris, wipe the wheel with a dry cloth. If the wheel is especially dirty, you can dampen the cloth with the same cleaning solution you used on the chair.
Dry the wheels with paper towels. Also, have a look on our another blog on "Importance of Office Cleaning – Prefer Only Professional Clean"
Put the wheels back on and ensure they move freely. If not, you may need to check for any debris lodged in them. WD-40 can also help to lubricate them but use it sparingly.
Cleaning your office chair can improve the overall office environment so it should be a regular part of your office cleaning schedule. If you’re having trouble keeping on top of everything, there are many commercial cleaning services that cover office chair cleaning, as well as other office cleaning jobs.
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