How to Properly Care for Your Office Chair

Office chairs are getting more and more expensive these days. So if you invest in one, be a responsible chair owner and make it a point to properly care for your office chair.

If you have a fabric chair, you need to regularly vacuum the chair's upholstery to avoid any dust or dirt from accumulating on it. For this purpose, get a vacuum cleaner with an attachment that's meant to be used with upholstery. If you encounter stains, use a solvent or dry clean the chair.

• Don't use water or other liquid to clean fabric upholstery. Doing so will make the problem worse.
• Do not use a revolving brush; this will damage the fabric beyond repair and you’ll have to re-upholster the chair.

If you are a leather chair fan, you have plenty to think about in terms of caring for your chair. Leather may look really nice, but it can be hard to maintain.

For regular dust, use a dry cloth to wipe the chair down. Make sure it is soft or else it might affect the appearance of the leather, especially if you have one of those sleek and shiny leather chairs.

For stubborn dirt, damp the rag using a soap solution and wipe the chair with it. Be sure to dry it afterwards with a dry cloth. If the soap solution is left to dry on its own, it may cause stains or discoloration on your leather, especially if your chair is a light color.

If you have one of the mesh office chairs that are so popular these days, then you can relax a bit. Mesh is the easiest office chair type to maintain. A simple vacuuming session can usually get rid of most of the problems that can dirty up your mesh chair. Just stay away from rolling or moving attachments because this can damage the mesh material.

In cleaning office chairs, most people focus on the seat and the backrest, but usually forget to clean the frame of the chair. So, when cleaning your office chair, remember to pay attention to the chair frame.

If your chair has a chrome frame, get a cotton cloth and use it to wipe off any dirt or dust on the frame. You may use a mild liquid dish soap and water if you encounter stubborn dirt. Don’t leave any liquid on the frame, though; make sure to dry it using a dry towel or rag. If you've cleaned the chrome frame but it still looks dull, you can also apply metal polish.

You also need to protect your chair from any damage to its structure. To do so, make sure to avoid standing on the chair; this will not only damage the chair but is also a serious safety hazard. Likewise, you are not supposed to sit on the armrests; the armrests are only meant to hold a limited amount of weight.