If you have a desk job, you most likely spend much of your time sitting in an office chair. So, when you sit in an office chair for a long time, you’ll have to clean it. This is because an accident is bound to happen when you spill some food crumbs, ink, water, or coffee.
And when you’ve used the chair for some time, you’ll need to clean it, especially the part of the chair that you sit on, as that is likely to be dirtier. But, it is not very likely that you can bring your vacuum cleaner into the office to clean your office chair, so you’ll have to do without it.
So, if you wonder about how to clean office chair without vacuum, there is a process that you can use. Here is how you’ll get your furniture squeakly clean:
- Look at the Instructions on the Care Tag
- Get Your Materials Ready
- Pick Up Any Dirt or Debris
- Use a Wet Cloth to Remove Liquid Stains
- Use Rubbing Alcohol to Remove Stains
- Mix Liquid Soap and Water
- Dip a Piece of Cloth in the Mixture and Wipe Down the Chair
- Use a Dry Cloth to Wipe Down the Upholstery
- Place the Chair Out to Dry
- Turn the Chair Upside Down and Remove the Wheels
- Use a Knife to Remove Large Debris From the Wheel
- Use a Cloth to Clean the Wheel
- Wipe the Wheels with Paper Towels
- Place the Wheels on the Chair and Turn it Back Up
- Wipe Down the Arms and Legs of the Chair With a Damp Rag
This article talks about how to clean an office chair without using a Vacuum. The guide gently goes through all the steps from locating the instructions to wiping the chair’s arms and legs.
15 Steps to Cleaning an Office Chairs Within Vacuum
Some people prefer to use a vacuum cleaner to pick up the dirt from an office chair. However, you can clean your office chair without using a vacuum cleaner. To do that, you’ll need to remove the bits and pieces of the diet with your hands instead of using a vacuum.
1. Check The Instructions On The Chair’s Care Tag
Before you gather the materials, you’ll need cleaning, and you should first check the care tag on the chair. The care tag is usually behind the chair and contains all the Instructions from the manufacturer about keeping the chair clean.
The care tag also gives directions on the kind of materials you should use for the cleaning. The materials will be different, depending on the chair you have. You can only use solvent-based solutions to clean the chair if you see an S.
On the other hand, if you see the letter W, you can only use water-based solvents to clean the chair. If you see the letters SW or S/W, you can use either solvent to clean the chair.
Always check the care tag and stick with the manufacturer’s rules. If you use another cleaning agent other than the required solvent, you could damage your chair.
2. Gather Your Materials
Next, you must gather the materials you need to clean the chair. That will slow your progress, and you could end up cleaning the chair unevenly. It’s better than having to get up each time you need something.
So, you’ll need cleaning solvent, a piece of cloth, or a rag. Either way, it should be clean enough; otherwise, you’ll spread dirt instead. Also, if you plan to clean the wheels, you may need to get a screwdriver so that you can remove the wheels easily.
In addition to that, you’ll need to get a bowl of clean water. The water shouldn’t be too cold, and it could be tepid but not too cold.
Finally, get a paper towel or tissue paper to pick out the dirt from the chair. You’ll have to remove the solid debris before you begin cleaning, and you don’t want that dirt on your fingers.
3. Pick Up Any Dirt Or Debris
When you have all your tools in place, the next thing to do is to remove the dirt and debris from the chair. Take the paper towel or tissue paper and carefully remove as much solid debris as possible from the chair.
You will need to take your time to remove all the dirt. Just reach into the chair and pick out the dirt. Please don’t rub or stick any of it into the chair, as that can make the dirt enter the fabric, making it more difficult to get it out.
Also, as soon as you see the mess, take it off. If you take time to get rid of it, it can set into the upholstery, or you might mistakenly sit on it, making it a loss and difficult to remove.
The same goes for a spill, which could be tea, coffee, or juice. Just make sure you blot it out with a rag immediately after it pours, so it doesn’t dry up. If you waste time, the spill could set, and it will take a lot more effort to get the stain out.
4. Use A Wet Cloth To Remove Stains
When you’ve removed all the solid dirt, the next step is to remove any stains from liquids. If you mistakenly spill something on the chair and it sets before you can get rid of it, you can try to remove it with some water.
Dip the piece of clean cloth into some water and blot out the stain. Please don’t use too much force. And don’t get too much water on the chair as that can damage it. Only use the quantity of water you need to use to get the stain out.
5. Use Rubbing Alcohol To Remove Stains
If any stubborn stain won’t come out, use a few drops of rubbing alcohol to remove it. Get some rubbing alcohol onto a cotton ball and rub the stain. First, you should check if the rubbing alcohol will damage the upholstery.
So, rub a bit of it on out-of-the-way places like the underside of the chair. If nothing happens, you’re good to go. When using rubbing alcohol on an office chair, there are a few things that you have to remember.
- Rub the cotton ball on the stain softly, so you don’t fray the fabric.
- If the fabric is acrylic, don’t use rubbing alcohol on it, as it can damage it.
- There is some water in rubbing alcohol, so you can use it to clean S-coded office chairs. However, it would be best if you still exercise caution.
6. Mix Liquid Soap And Some Water
When you finish removing the solid dirt and cleaning the stains, you’ll have to clean up the upholstery. To do that, you need a mixture of soap and water. It’s best if you use a natural biodegradable dish detergent. Then, mix the detergent with some water.
Before you use the mixture to clean your chair, test it out on a hidden part like the underside of the chair. If it doesn’t cause any damage, you can use the mixture to clean the rest of the chair. If the chair has vinyl or leather upholstery, mix a few drops of your preferred soap with 1 cup of water. (240 ml)
7. Dip A Rag In The Soap And Water Mixture And Use It To Wipe Down The Chair
Next is to use the solution to wipe down the chair. Get a clean, soft, lint-free rag. If the rag is too strong or rough, it could damage the fabric when you’re trying to clean it. Also, don’t put too much pressure on the fabric while cleaning. Clean in soft motions.
Also, don’t soak the rag in the cleaning solution. Dampen the rag instead. Otherwise, you’ll leave an excess quantity of the cleaning solution on the chair, which may soak into the upholstery.
Also, do not scrub. If you scrub, it could make the leather fray. If you use excessive force, it can pull the leather also.
8. Use A Piece Of Dry Clothe To Wipe The Upholstery
After you’ve cleaned with the solution and a wet rag, the next thing to do is to remove any excess moisture from the upholstery. So, get a clean, dry rag and wipe away the residue. Again, do it gently, so you don’t fray or damage the fabric.
9. Place It Out To Dry
After you wipe the chair down, let it air dry. Please place it in an airy, well-ventilated area for a while and let the rest of the residue dry out. If you place it in an area with good ventilation, it will dry faster.
10. Turn The Chair Upside Down And Remove The Wheels
When you’re cleaning your chair, it’ll be much easier to work if you sit in another chair. You won’t have to bend down always.
Be careful when doing the work so you don’t injure yourself. If you always bend when you’re trying to work, it may hurt your back. So, you can pull the wheel to remove it. But if that doesn’t work, you’ll need to get a screwdriver.
11. Use A Knife To Remove Large Debris
So, there could be dry food, small objects, gunk, or even small pebbles. Any of these can make your chair not move around. It will cause the wheels to remain stuck in place. So, you can use a knife to remove the debris.
Get a small knife, preferably a butter knife, that can easily slip into the crack between the wheels and the cover of the wheel. Once the knife is in the wheel, you can scrape any dried gunk off or pop out the pebbles.
You can’t use a butter knife to remove hair pieces from the wheel. But you can use scissors to cut them out and remove anything that may be left inside with a pair of tweezers.
If there is anything that you can’t remove with the tweezers or butter knife, you may have to leave it in the wheel, as long as it’s not stopping the wheel from moving.
12. Use A Cloth To Wipe The Wheels
If there is any mess that you can’t remove, if you use a piece of dry cloth to wipe down the wheels, you can get it off. But, if that does not work, you may want to dampen the rag with the cleaning solution.
Also, if the wheel is very dirty, dampen it before you use it to clean the wheels. Also, you can use a cotton swab dipped in the cleaning solution to clean along the crack between the wheel and the cover.
13. Dry The Wheel With Paper Towels
If you use water or a cleaning solution to clean the wheels, you’ll have to wipe them down with a dry paper towel. The wheels will not roll smoothly if any moisture is left on them. So, wipe them thoroughly to get all the moisture off the chair.
And if the paper towels are inadequate, you can use a clean, dry cloth. To make sure you get all the moisture out.
14. Place The Wheels On The Chair And Turn It Back Up
Once everything is good and clean, put the wheels back on the chair. Also, if there are any screws on the wheel, put those back in place before you sit on the chair. With thorough cleaning, your chair will move more smoothly.
After you’ve put the wheels back in place, you can turn the chair around.
15. Wipe Down The Arms And Legs Of The Chair With A Rag
Finally, you’ll have to pay attention to the arms of the chair. Once you’re done cleaning every other part of the chair, take a clean rag and use it to wipe down the arms and legs of the chair. The legs of the chair are different from the wheels. If the arms are legs are especially dirty, clean them with a damp rag before you use a dry rag to clean them again.
Once every part of the chair is dry, leave it to air for a few hours before you take it and resume using it.
Conclusion
To clean your office chair without a vacuum, you’ll need some soap, some water, a rag, and some wool. First, you’ll have to remove solid dirt from the chair before cleaning it with a mixture of soap and water.
Always ensure that you use the right type of soap for the chair. Also, remember to check the care tag on the chair for the cleaning instructions. Overall, I hope that you found this guide helpful and that you cleaned your office chair without using a Vacuum.
