How to Clean and Maintain an Office Chair

You probably know the importance of using a comfortable and ergonomic office chair. It will allow you to work at your desk or cubicle for long periods of time without stressing your spine. Statistics show that up to 38% of office workers will experience back pain in any given year. Using a high-quality office chair, however, you’ll minimize stress on your spine and, therefore, protect yourself from back pain. But if you’re going to invest in a high-quality office chair, you’ll need to clean and maintain it.

Vacuum Dust and Debris
Once every few weeks, clean your office chair using the wand attachment of a vacuum cleaner. Assuming the wand attachment has a smooth surface, it should suction up most particulate matter without harming your office chair. Just turn the vacuum cleaner to a “low suction” setting, after which you can run the wand attachment across the seat, backrest and armrests.

Regardless of what type of office chair you own, vacuuming it on a regular basis will help extend its useful life. The wand attachment will suction stubborn dust and debris that could otherwise degrade your office chair and send it to an early grave.

Look for an Upholstery Tag
If you haven’t done so already, look for an upholstery tag on your office chair. Although there are exceptions, most office chairs have an upholstery tag. Also known as a care tag or care label, it features instructions from the manufacturer on how to clean the office chair. Different office chairs are made of different fabrics, so you’ll need to check the upholstery tag to determine the safest, most effective way to clean them.

In the event your office chair doesn’t have an upholstery tag, you can check the owner’s manual for instructions on how to clean your office chair. If an office chair doesn’t have an upholstery tag, it should come with an owner’s manual featuring similar cleaning and maintenance instructions.

Spot Clean Using Soap and Warm Water
Unless otherwise stated on the upholstery tag – or in the owner’s manual – you can spot clean your office chair using soap and warm water. If you discover a superficial smudge or blemish on your office chair, blot the stained area with a damp washcloth, along with a small amount of liquid soap, until it comes clean.

You don’t need to use any special type of soap to clean your office chair. Just use a gentle-formula dish soap. After running a clean washcloth under running water, place a few drops of dish soap on it. Next, blot – don’t scrub – the stained area or areas of your office chair. Blotting is important because it will pull the stain-causing compounds out of the fabric. If you scrub the stain, you’ll inadvertently work the stain-causing compounds deeper into the fabric. So, remember to blot your office chair when spot cleaning it.

Apply Conditioner to Leather
If you have a leather office chair, you should condition it once every few months to prevent it from drying out. There are different types of leather, some of which includes full grain, corrected grain and split. Full-grain leather is the highest quality, whereas corrected grain is the second-highest quality. All types of natural leather, however, have a porous surface that’s able to absorb and hold moisture.

If you inspect natural leather under a microscope, you’ll see countless holes on the surface. Also known as pores, these holes are responsible for keeping the leather moist. As moisture settles on the surface of a leather office chair, it will sink into its pores, thereby preventing the leather from drying out. Over time, however, moisture will evaporate from the pores. If left unaddressed, the leather will then peel or even crack open.

You can protect your leather office chair from such damage by applying a conditioner to it. Leather conditioners like mink oil and saddle soap are designed to hydrate leather. They contain water, as well as other ingredients, that hydrate and protect leather from dryness-related damage. When you apply a conditioner to your leather office chair, you’ll hydrate it so that it doesn’t dry out.

Tighten Fasteners
Of course, you should also inspect and tighten the fasteners on your office chair as well. Whether your office chair features screws or bolts (or both), they may come loose if you don’t tighten them on a regular basis. And if a fastener is loose, your office chair won’t be stable.

Replace When Necessary
Even with regular cleaning and maintenance, you may still need to replace your office chair. According to one report, the average life expectancy of an office chair is between seven to 15 years. If your office chair is damaged or degraded beyond the point of repair, you should go ahead and replace it.

A high-quality office chair made by a reputable brand should come with a warranty. If any of the components break during the warranty period, the manufacturer will pay to repair or replace it. Always look for a warranty when purchasing an office chair, as this indicates the manufacturer is confident in its product.

After investing in a new office chair, though, remember to follow these cleaning and maintenance tips. Doing so will help protect it from premature failure. At the same time, a well-maintained office chair will provide you with a superior level of comfort when working.