Our office chair wheels are the part of our chairs that gather the most dust, hair, and gunk. These things will affect how your casters move.
And it gets annoying when your once smooth-rolling casters start struggling to move across your office floor.
The best way to maintain your office chair wheels’ mobility and performance is to regularly clean it, remove the dirt and hair, and lubricate it for maximum mobility. Cleaning your casters also prevents dirt from getting blocked in between the wheels, axels, and stems.
You probably have a lot of questions on how to properly do the cleaning, so let’s talk about them below.
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How can I make my office chair roll better?
To make your office chairs roll better, you have to regularly clean the casters.
Most of the time, people will tell you that you just have to lubricate your office chair wheels, but lubricating them is just a finishing step to better improve your casters’ mobility.
In other words, lubricating is not the only answer especially when your wheels are already dirty and old.
There are also cases when cleaning your office chair wheels isn’t enough to make them better. These cases occur when your wheels are already broken or if its plastic parts are already brittle.
To know if your casters need cleaning or a replacement, take a closer look at each caster and check if the parts are still holding together.
How do you clean office chair wheels?
Cleaning your office chair can be done in 3 easy steps for single-wheel designs.
Step 1 – Flip your chair:
The first step is just for you to flip the chair over.
Flipping your chair over will give you a better view of your casters. You won’t also have to worry about the chair falling over you.
Step 2 – Cleaning:
The second step is to remove any visible sign of dirt and hair. You can do this in a few ways – with your hands or a vacuum cleaner.
When there’s a lot of hair, it’s best to tear the hair apart before blowing it with a vacuum cleaner. This is because the hair that’s on the wheels could already be trapped between the wheels and the axel.
After removing the hair, use a vacuum to remove the dust and gunk from the casters.
When you’re already satisfied with the cleanliness of the wheels, the third step is to wipe the casters with a dry fabric.
Step 3 – Lubricate your wheels:
Lastly, use a lubricant on your wheels. Using the nozzle, put a small amount of lubricant on the axel and the bearings. When there’s excess lubricant on the casters, wipe them off with a clean dry fabric or tissue.
Cleaning your office chair wheels is a little different when you have twin-wheel types. Twin-wheel types are those that have pairs of wheels together in one caster.
Unlike single-wheel designs where you can just clean the casters while they’re connected to the chair, twin-wheel designs need to be dismantled. Removing the wheels from the axel will make it easier for you to get the hair and dirt out.
To remove one wheel, you’re going to need two screwdrivers. You can also do this with your bare hands, but you might end up breaking the wheels.
Put the two screwdrivers on each side of the axel and holding the tools, slowly lift the wheel until it pops out. This way, the wheel doesn’t break and you don’t hurt your hands in the process.
When you’ve removed two wheels, you can easily follow steps 2-3.
To put back the wheels into the axel, just align the holes found in the middle of the wheels and push the wheels down to the axel. Your wheels should be “locked” in such a way that it’s not easily removed when you pull it out.
When should you clean your office chair wheels?
There is no set schedule as to when you should clean your office chair wheels.
This is mainly because different casters gather dust, gunk, and hair at varying speeds depending on the lifestyle of the people. So if you have a cat or a dog in your home and your office chair is on a furry carpet, then your set of office chair wheels will definitely gather dirt more quickly.
However, the ideal frequency for you to clean your casters is once every few weeks. This frequency will prevent dust, gunk, and hair from accumulating on your wheels.
But you shouldn’t wait for a month to clean your office chair wheels especially when you’re noticing difficulty in your chair’s mobility.
If you notice that it gets harder to move your wheels, then that’s already a sign that you should start cleaning your casters.
Regularly cleaning your office chair wheels will improve your chair’s performance and prevent your wheels from getting damaged.
How do you lubricate office chair wheels?
To properly lubricate your office chair wheels, spray a little amount on top of your wheels and axel.
You only need a small amount of lubricant to improve the mobility of your casters. Once you’ve done this, wipe away the excess lubricant with a tissue or a dry fabric.
The reason why you should remove the excess grease is that the grease can let dirt and dust stick to your office chair wheels. Besides, the excess grease might give your wheels an extra slippery feel on the floor.
This won’t be good especially when your wheels will be on hardwood floors.
You don’t need to lubricate your office chair wheels all the time. You only need to do this when you’re cleaning your casters or if your casters are new and they’re a little difficult to move.
Conclusion
To make your office chair wheels roll better, you have to determine if they need to be replaced or if they just need cleaning.
If it’s cleaning they need, then you have to flip the chair over, remove the hair and dirt on the wheels, and wipe the casters clean. It’s only when the casters are free of dirt that you should lubricate them.
My name is Vance, and I am the owner of To Ergonomics. Our mission is to improve your workflow by helping you create a supportive and welcoming environment. We hope that you’ll find what you’re looking for while you’re here.