Wondering how to clean your ergonomic office chair correctly? You've come to the right place. Today, we'll teach you everything you need to know!
Maybe you've come to realize your office chair looks a little worse for the wear. You see dust lining the plastic components and stains covering the mesh. Or, perhaps you've just assembled your new office chair and you just want to prepare for that first cleaning. Whatever the case, we're here to help.
You invested good money into your mesh office chair, you might as well learn how to clean it correctly! Cleaning ergonomic mesh office chairs is actually not as complicated as you may think. Compared to a leather office chair, a mesh chair is easy to maintain. By following the advice we're going to share in this short blog post, you'll be well equipped to keep your office chair in tip-top shape for years to come!
First, we want to explain the importance of regularly cleaning a mesh office chair.
Why Is Cleaning Your Ergonomic Office Chair Regularly So Important?
If you're like us, you probably spend hours upon hours sitting in your chair every day. Some days, you probably eat lunch at your desk. With all this hard use, it should come as no shock that over time your office chair is going to be in dire need of cleaning. You'll want to eliminate crumbs and dust that accumulate on the fabric and plastic components.
But, cleaning your office chair goes beyond just keeping it looking pretty. Your chair can become a hotbed for germs and allergens. So even if your chair doesn't necessarily look gross and dirty, routine cleanings keep you healthy and safe. This is even more important if you work in an office setting with other people - especially in the COVID-19 era.
Simply put, keeping your office chair clean prolongs its life. You'll protect the fabric from degrading, caustic stains. And, you'll protect yourself from dust and other allergens. And, let's be honest - nobody likes a slob! So, allow us to explain how we recommend you clean office chairs.
How To Clean Ergonomic Office Chairs: Step By Step Cleaning Instructions
If you have an ergonomic mesh office chair, the good news is that cleaning your chair is simple. This is especially true compared to other styles, like a leather office chair. You just need a few things and a bit of elbow grease. Here are a few essential supplies and pieces of equipment if you want to clean a mesh office chair the right way:
- Vacuum cleaner
- Fabric softener or dish soap
- Hot water
- A clean rag
- Q-Tips
There are other optional supplies and equipment you can draw on if needed. For tough stains that have been left too long, you may need more aggressive cleaning agents. With that said, the focus should always be on maintaining and protecting the fabric. Don't use any chemicals that could harm your chair. You may also want to use a blow dryer to help dry the chair after an aggressive cleaning. This will aid in preventing a funky mildew smell.
Grab your vacuum cleaner, and let's get started!
Step 1) Vacuum Up or Wipe Away Loose Dust & Crumbs
First and foremost, you're going to want to remove any physical dust and crumbs from the chair itself. This applies to both the fabric mesh along with the other areas on your office chair that dust and crumbs can accumulate.
If your vacuum cleaner comes with brush attachments, use them for this step. These are the best way to go about cleaning dust and crumbs from the mesh of your chair. The bristles will free up any dust or crumbs that are trapped in the tiny mesh holes.
A few other spots you'll have to look at include the back of the chair, the legs, the armrests, and even the wheels themselves. If this is just quick routine cleaning, going over each and every component of your chair with a cloth is good enough.
But every so often (if you use your chair for years and years), you may want to completely disassemble your chair. This will allow you to get deep into the components for a robust cleaning. We highly recommend paying close attention to the wheels - the last thing you want is your castors locking up over time because you neglected them. Once you've done a good job eliminating physical dirt, dust, and crumbs, you can move on to step 2.
Step 2) Wipe The Mesh Upholstery On Your Office Chair With Warm Water & Soap
Get a bucket or bowl. Fill it with warm water and a few drops of dish soap, fabric softener, or other mesh-safe soap. Shoot for 1 part soap to 16 parts water. We'll talk about using more aggressive cleaning agents later on. For routine cleanings, though, this is the best approach.
Dip a clean cloth into your soapy mixture. Then, wring it out really well - you don't want to soak the mesh upholstery of your chair. Take the damp cloth and gently wipe the seat and backing on your mesh chair. Another approach if you have a very delicate mesh chair is to use a spray bottle. You can spray the cleaning mixture on, and then dab it with a damp cloth. This helps to prevent getting the mesh upholstery on your chair too wet.
Then, take another wet cloth - this one with no soap - and wipe away any suds you see remaining on your mesh chair. Once there is no residual soap left behind, grab a third, dry cloth. Pat down any spots that appear excessively wet. You won't be able to get a mesh chair completely dry with a cloth due to the unique nature of the fabric. We'll talk about completely drying your chair later on. For now, move on to step 3.
Step 3) Wipe The Other Components Of Your Office Chair With Warm Water & Soap
You can repeat the same process from step 2, but this time, on the hard components of your chair. If you invested in a high-quality office chair, this will be really easy. These top-end chairs feature ultra-hard rubber or plastic that makes cleaning a breeze.
Scrub the armrests, backing, legs, castors, and the rest of your frame with a damp, soapy cloth. You may need to do a few passes depending on how dirty these components are. Unlike the fabric on mesh office chairs, you can adequately dry these components with a dry cloth.
Step 4) Allow Your Chair To Dry Completely
Once you're satisfied with the cleaning on your chair, you're practically done! For some, the cleaning ends here. But if you truly want to maintain your mesh office chair, you can do one final thing: help dry it off completely.
If you leave your chair damp for too long, it will develop a funky, offputting smell. When you consider how much time you spend sitting in this chair, you definitely don't want that! And if you plan on working in your chair as soon as you finish cleaning it, you definitely need to dry it first - nobody wants wet pants.
The best way to dry your mesh fabric office chair is with a blow dryer. Don't just blast the mesh with heat, though - this can damage it. Instead, put it on the cool setting on high or the warm setting on low. Then, slowly go over the fabric until it's dry. It's that simple!
Quick Tips For Cleaning An Ergonomic Mesh Office Chair
Mesh office chair cleaning is simple - in just four steps, you'll have a chair that looks brand new. But, there are a few more quick tips we want to leave you with before wrapping things up. First and foremost, keep your cleanings routine. If you're a neat freak like us, that means every 2 weeks. Otherwise, allocate time for cleaning at least once a month. Doing this keeps your cleanings short and sweet. If you wait too long, you'll have to work harder to eliminate dust, crumbs, grime, and stains.
Speaking of stains: clean them the moment they occur. We've all been there - there is no worse feeling than spilling coffee, tea, soup, or soda on your office chair. But if you act fast, you can eliminate the stain before it has a chance to take hold on your fabric. Otherwise, a few drops of dish soap may not be able to cut through the stain.
It's also important to exercise caution your first time cleaning. Not all fabrics are the same. Some can handle a more aggressive cleaning solution than others. We recommend starting your cleaning on a small, inconspicuous part of your mesh. Then once you've determined it's safe to proceed, you can do so.
To give yourself even more peace of mind in the cleaning agents you're using, check the tag on your chair. Usually located on the frame underneath your seat, you may see one of the following pieces of information:
- W (Water-based products) - only use water-based products in cleaning your chair.
- S (Water-free solvents) - you can use water-free solvents in cleaning your chair.
- SW (water-based or water-free products) - you can use either water-based or water-free products in cleaning your chair.
- C (Crypton products) - Crypton material is unique in that it cannot be stained. You can use plain water and powdered enzyme detergent to clean a mesh office chair made of Crypton.
Not sure which of these applies to your specific office chair? Reach out to your manufacturer directly. Better to be safe rather than sorry. Mesh fabric office chairs are expensive - you want to get this right!
Final Thoughts On How To Clean Ergonomic Office Chair
Well, there you have it - exactly how to clean mesh chairs safely and efficiently. By following our step-by-step guide and noting the advice above, you're well equipped to keep your mesh chairs clean and germ-free for years to come. Remember - prevent stains from taking hold in the first place, and give your chair frequent routine cleanings. This will allow for quick, hassle-free cleanings when the time comes.
And if you're looking to upgrade your current mesh fabric office chair, head over to ErgoTune for the best mesh chairs online. Our ergonomic office chairs are the best in all of Australia and throughout the rest of the world. With a 4.7-star rating across over 1,400 verified reviews, you don't have to just take our word for it. ErgoTune chairs fit like a second skin with 11 different points of adjustability!
Invest in yourself with the most ergonomic adjustable chair on the market. Say goodbye to pain, and hello to all-day comfort and productivity!
