It's not just your peripherals that take a beating at work. Even without lunch in front of the screen, your seat gets a lot of wear and tear from dirty trousers or scratchy pets. I'll show you how to clean your office chair.
The unsung hero
He's always there when you need him. He does his job, keeps a low profile and is always in the background. It's time to treat and care for your office chair accordingly. As you use it a lot, it collects a lot of dirt. In the worst case scenario, it can even become a breeding ground for germs and allergens. To prevent this from happening, a few household remedies and proper care can help.
When I'm not stuffing my face with sweets, you'll catch me running around in the gym hall. I’m a passionate floorball player and coach. On rainy days, I tinker with my homebuilt PCs, robots or other gadgets. Music is always my trusted companion. I also enjoy tackling hilly terrain on my road bike and criss-crossing the country on my cross-country skis.
A clean keyboard and mouse is half the battle for a tidy workplace. But there's the other half: yellow-white stains on the edge of the seat cushion, grease stains on the armrests and dandruff on the headrest. What nobody wants to see happens far too often. Sadly, these messy scenes are not limited to the office. I have also had to observe such crime scenes in (someone else's) home office. We're talking about the dirty office chair. With a few tips and tricks, you can get your chair back into shape. This will make working a lot more fun.
Guide
How to clean your keyboard and mouse properly
by Raphael Knecht
Many people spend a large part of their lives on their office chair.
High-quality office chairs in particular, which you can adjust to your body shape in all possible places, tend to accumulate a lot of dirt. This is because there are countless openings, nooks and crannies in which all kinds of small particles accumulate. This doesn't necessarily have to be food that you eat at work. It can also be hair, skin flakes, dust or insects. Regardless of whether you have an upholstered or non-upholstered chair - the following tips and tricks work for both models. An important note first: If your office chair comes with its own care and maintenance instructions, please always follow these first. If no cleaning tips are included, you can refer to this guide.
Office chairs made of leather, vinyl, plastic mesh or polyurethane can be kept clean with commercially available tools without a lot of time and effort. The most important thing for a clean seat is a hoover - preferably a handheld vacuum cleaner or one that is at least wireless. This allows you to effortlessly reach all areas to be cleaned without having to bend and worry about the cable while cleaning. Many vacuum cleaners also have a special attachment for cleaning upholstery. You should also have a mild washing-up liquid or liquid hand soap to hand. Depending on how dirty the office chair is, you will also need a spray bottle or a small bowl.
You can usually get your office chair clean again with standard household remedies.
Then I recommend two or three clean cleaning cloths. Microfibre rags are best, but old cotton shirts or other fabrics that don't leave lint behind will also work. You should also equip yourself with a feather duster or a pressurised air cleaner before cleaning the office chair. This will allow you to get into places that you may not be able to reach with the vacuum cleaner and attachment. For more intensive cleaning and to remove stubborn stains, you will also need rubbing alcohol, vinegar or detergent. In the end, the steam cleaner is usually the only thing that helps against almost impossible-to-remove stains.
As soon as you spill something on your office chair, drop something or discover a stain, you should treat it immediately. The longer you wait, the more it will set and the more difficult it will be to remove. Moisten the stain with mineral water as quickly as possible and carefully dab it dry. Under no circumstances should you rub, as this will only spread the stain. If mineral water doesn't help, try using a little washing-up liquid and tap water. You shouldn't need more than five to ten minutes for such a treatment. Plan about 15 minutes for a weekly cleaning of your office chair without stubborn stains and the like. In this time, you will have dusted, vacuumed and - if necessary - removed harmless stains from the chair. If one cleaning ritual per week is too much for you, then clean the office chair at least once a week when you also wipe down your workplace. For a deep clean with a steam cleaner etc., you should set aside at least half an hour to three quarters of an hour.
No matter how much dirt has accumulated - a clean is always good for your office chair.
First, dust your office chair thoroughly from top to bottom. Try to reach every nook and cranny. Then pick up the hoover and get to grips with the dust and dirt. If possible, set the vacuum cleaner to the highest setting so that you can remove even the deepest dirt. Use a compressed air spray with the appropriate attachment to blow clean the corners and hiding places that you can't reach with either the feather duster or the hoover. Don't forget to brush and vacuum up the dust that has been blown out. Then mix a few drops of washing-up liquid with water and pour the mixture into a spray bottle. If you don't have one to hand, a small bowl will also do. Make sure you don't use too much washing-up liquid. Now spray the office chair from top to bottom with the solution. If you are using a bowl, wet a cloth in it and wipe the entire chair clean. Make sure that you don't get the rag too wet. Otherwise, the water could get inside the chair upholstery and damage other parts.
With a hoover and suitable attachment, you can get into every crevice.
You should also be careful with the spray and not apply or spray too thickly. The entire upholstered surface of the office chair should be moistened, but not soaked. Next, use a damp cloth, but this time without detergent. Use this to remove the loosened dirt and any detergent residue. Finally, wipe the upholstery dry with another dry cloth. Use a separate cloth for the armrests, chair legs, levers and other hard plastic parts. If your office chair is made of materials such as leather or vinyl, you should use another cloth to wipe it dry. This is because the used rags are soaked with water from the upholstery and are only good again when they are completely dry. To protect your bum from damp upholstery, leave your office chair unused until the next day to be on the safe side. If you need to do it quickly, you can help with a hairdryer set to cold air.
Everything you have not been able to remove so far requires special care. Stubborn stains are best treated with rubbing alcohol. Be careful and test the solution on an inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn't discolour the upholstery or other parts of the office chair. Then apply a few drops of rubbing alcohol to the stain and massage it in carefully from the outside inwards. Important: Do not drown the stain in alcohol, a few drops are enough. Then leave the stain to dry. Thanks to the alcohol, this should be quick. If the stain survives this treatment, you will need to use more aggressive methods. Depending on the type of stain, you can use a cleaning agent specially designed for the stain in question. Or get a steam cleaner and give it a try. If that doesn't work either, the only option is to call in a professional cleaning service. Once it has been cleaned by trained professionals, your office chair will shine in new splendour and look forward to getting back into action.
