How to Clean Office Chair Seat? Full Guide for 2024

Office chairs are must-have items in any workspace or gaming room. A proper seat can give you comfort and may prevent you from feeling stressed and even strained or in pain after being seated for a few hours since they help you improve your posture. However, it’s usual for people to forget that chairs need maintenance, and don’t realize that their chairs need a bit of cleaning until it is visibly dirty. Without proper care, office chairs might become a germ and allergen nest. That’s why it is important to clean office chair seats.

If you would like to keep your chair germ-free and also extend its useful life, you can learn how to clean office chair seats  and make sure it is always as fresh as it can be.

Basic Guide on How to Clean Office Chair Cushion

1. Check Your Chair’s Label or the Manufacturer’s Website

Be sure to check if your chair doesn’t come with maintenance or cleaning instructions. It might not be explicitly said on the box or perhaps the seat itself, but you might be able to find something on the manufacturer’s website. Several brands do this for their products, such as Herman Miller or Steelcase.

You should also check whether your chair has one of the following labels:

• A plain “W” specifies that you can clean the office chair cushion with water or any other cleaning solution that is meant to be dissolved in water.
• An “A” tells you that you need to use a solution that doesn’t need water.
• A "W/S" label indicates that you can use any of the above mentioned options, either water or non-water-based detergents or cleaning agents.
• An “X” means that you shouldn’t use water or any other substances. Your chair is good to go with brushing or vacuuming. 

It’s never recommended to try to wash your chair without reading the label or at least knowing what the material is. For instance, the instructions on how to clean mesh chairs are completely different from those on how to clean genuine leather chairs.

2. Clean the Surface of Your Chair with a Microfiber Cloth

Firstly, it is recommended that you wipe down your chair and make sure that no dirt or debris is visible. You can utilize a microfiber cloth for that, and then, once you finish wiping it down, you can vacuum it to ensure that no particle of dust is left behind. Plus, it may prevent you from making a mess when you get the material a little wet in the next step.

You will now need another cloth and soapy water. Dampen the cloth in the water and start passing it over all the surfaces. You may have to soak the cloth in the soapy water several times.

Bear in mind that you don't need to use harsh detergents or cleaning agents. Not only will those products damage the chair, but they may also make it harder for you to clean since you'll have to work more to get them out of the upholstery.

3. Rinse the Chair and Let it Dry

Next up, you'll have to rinse the chair with another cloth and clean water. All you have to do is pass it through the surface so that you can get all the detergent particles and residues out of it. Once you finish, it is also recommended to use a clean cloth to dry the armrests, legs, and other surfaces – especially if your chair is made of leather – so that it can be ready for use again faster.

If your chair's seat is made of fabric, you may let it dry for a few hours before you can use it again. However, if you can't afford to stop using your chair for a long time, you can try using a hair dryer to get it ready sooner instead.

Learn to Clean Different Types of Chairs

There is a wide diversity of materials out there that you can choose when it comes to an ergonomic chair, such as leather, mesh or even plastic. Depending on what you’ve chosen, your chair may need different maintenance methods, which you should follow if you want it to last for a long time.

For instance, learning how to clean a fabric office chair might be less complicated than learning how to clean a leather office chair since both materials require different types of maintenance. Genuine leather needs to be treated more carefully, meaning cleaning the surface with a cloth damped in soapy water should be enough. On the other hand, a fabric office chair allows you to do a more in-depth job and even get some stains off with some effort. Leather may require you to be more careful to avoid damaging the material.

It's highly recommended that you do research on how to clean office chair upholstery if you want your desk seat to last a long time while preventing it from accumulating dirt or germs. This may allow you to keep your workspace or gaming room tidier and more pleasant.

Wrapping Up

Learning how to clean office chair seats is essential, especially if you live in a place where dust tends to accumulate more or if you tend to use your chair a lot. Some fabrics might become dirtier than others in less time, which is why it is advisable to clean your office chair at least once a month to prevent it from accumulating too much dust and debris.

This guide on how to clean an office chair at home covers the basic steps on how to provide maintenance to the material of your seat. Of course, you should make sure to only use cleaning agents that are safe for your chair. If your chair has wooden parts, you may not want to soak it in water as it may end up damaging the wood, for example.

Applying the correct methods to cleaning your office chair seat might allow you to enjoy a comfortable seat whenever you're working, gaming, or just using your desk for a long time.