Office chairs are the most often overlooked pieces of furniture in the office and at home. This is funny since it’s also one of the most essential tools in our day-to-day life.
We sit on our office chairs for hours on end — and over time, you’ll start to see visible signs of usage. Luckily, there are ways you can prevent these damages and extend your office chair’s lifespan a couple of years longer.
In this guide, we will teach you how to properly take care of your office chair. We will also help you identify what cleaning products to use for specific types of chair upholstery, such as vinyl and leather.
Table of Contents
Why should I take care of my office chair?
Having a clean and well-functioning ergonomic office chair is important for any worker or employee. Not only does it help you feel comfortable while you work — but it can also help increase productivity by allowing an employee to feel at ease while working.
Taking care of your office chair extends its lifespan by almost half of the initial number. It also saves you a ton of money in terms of repairs or replacements.
How do I take care of my office chair?
The average office chair can last you around 7 to 8 years, depending on how you use it.
If you want your office chair to last longer, the following chair care practices should be followed and maintained:
- Make sure to regularly clean your office chair
- Use the right upholstery and/or chair cleaners for your office chair
- Don’t neglect the casters
- Check the cylinder
- Improve your office chair habits
1. Make sure to regularly clean your office chair
Cleaning your office chair regularly is an absolute must. Not just for your health and safety — but also because of the damage that dust and dirt can cause to your chair’s exterior materials.
Vacuuming and dusting every week should be enough to keep dust and debris from piling up on your office chair. Just make sure to use the right nozzle attachments for your vacuum, to avoid damaging your office chair’s upholstery.
Additionally, make sure to keep suction to a minimum to prevent long-lasting marks from affecting your chair. The BLACK+DECKER Handheld Vacuum is a great tool for office chair cleaning.
2. Use the right upholstery and/or chair cleaners for your office chair
Each type of office chair requires a specific type of cleaner. Use the wrong one and you’re putting your chair at risk of damage and earlier replacement.
If you’re unfamiliar with what type of upholstery cleaner you should be using for your office chair, look for the upholstery tag.
Upholstery tags are often placed on the bottom back part of the chair or underneath the seat. On the tag, you’ll find instructions on what upholstery cleaner would be appropriate for your office chair type.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what an upholstery tag might hold:
| Category | Meaning |
| W | This simply means you can clean your office chair with water-based non-abrasive products, like the Tub O' Towels Cleaning Wipes . |
| S | This means you can only clean your office chair solvent or water-free cleaner, like the Alba Chem PSR Powdered Dry Cleaning Fluid . |
| SW or WS | This means you can use either water-based or dry-cleaning products to clean your office chair. |
| X | This means your office chair needs to be professionally cleaned. |
| C | This means your office chair is made of Crypton fabric and will require a specific cleaning process to get it done right. You can watch this video on how to clean Crypton fabrics for reference. |
3. Don’t neglect the casters
The dirt from your shoes, food crumbs, carpet fuzz, and hair sheddings — all these can get stuck in your office chair’s casters. When that happens, it can obstruct your office chair’s mobility and movement.
When you’re cleaning your office chair, don’t forget to turn it over and check your casters. Remove any visible signs of hair and grime. When that’s all well and done, grab your vacuum and start suctioning the rest of the dirt out from your casters.
Pro Tip: If picking out the stray hairs and dirt from your office chair casters is too gross, you can use a pair of gloves to protect your hands from the grime.
Finally, apply a few drops of WD-40 to your office chair casters. This should help your office chair to roll more smoothly.
Try to clean your office chair casters at least once every six months to prevent damage.
4. Check the cylinders
Does your office chair keep sinking for some reason? Then there might be something wrong with its gas cylinders (piston).
If you’re unfamiliar with a gas cylinder, it’s essentially the mechanism that goes inside the tube that connects your office chair legs to the seat. This mechanism allows you to adjust the height of your office chair to one that is ergonomically correct for your body type.
Over time, this mechanism can break down, resulting in your office chair failing to keep an appropriate height as you sit at work.
Check your chair’s warranty to see if it’s still active. If it is, call your provider’s sales team and ask about gas cylinder replacement services to fix your sinking chair.
What should you do if your warranty is long overdue?
If your chair no longer has a warranty, you can still buy a replacement gas cylinder and do the repairs yourself.
5. Improve your office chair habits
Leaning too far back on your office chair and placing excessively heavy objects on the seat are all practices that can cause it to wear down earlier than expected. So will using the wrong cleaning products, delaying repairs, and skipping maintenance checks.
If you want your office chair to last longer, taking good care of it by improving your office chair habits is the best way to go.
How do you care for an ergonomic office chair?
Caring for an ergonomic office chair should be no different than caring for any other office chair that you bought from the marketplace.
It all falls down to the type of cleaners you use.
Cleaning vinyl upholstery on an office chair
Vinyl is a common material used for office chair upholstery. It has the luxurious look and feel of leather without the exorbitant pricing. It also requires far less maintenance and upkeep than real leather.
To properly clean your vinyl office chair, here’s what you should do:
- Wipe away any spills with a damp cloth.
- Once the spill has been wiped away, make a mixture of liquid soap and water in a basin. Get a brush and gently brush out any stain that is on your office chair.
- Rinse the vinyl and pat it dry with a clean cloth.
If the soap and water mixture doesn’t work, you can try a stronger cleaner like the Formula 40 Multi-Surface Cleaner or the Fantastik All-Purpose Cleaner .
Cleaning and caring for your leather office chair
Leather office chairs are comfortable, classy, and look incredibly professional in an office. It’s no wonder why many executives love this type of high-quality furniture for their offices.
However, the downside to owning leather furnishing, is that it requires a TON of upkeep and maintenance to ensure that the leather doesn’t break down.
Before proceeding with any cleaning, check your chair’s upholstery tag to find out what type of cleaner you should use. You can refer back to the guide we made above.
Here’s how you can keep your leather office chair looking new for years to come:
- Make sure to vacuum your office chair regularly.
Note: You want to use a soft brush attachment to dislodge dust and debris from your chair without scratching the leather surface. Additionally, make sure to keep the suction at a minimum to avoid damages and any unappealing marks affecting your chair surface.
2. Wipe down your office chair with a clean cloth or non-abrasive cleaning wipes once a week. Choose something that won’t leave any lint or dye on the leather when you wipe.
Note: Make sure to WIPE and not scrub the leather.
3. If your chair needs a deeper clean, try mixing a few drops of liquid soap with about a quart of distilled water. Use a clean rag to wipe down your leather chair. Once done, use a clean cloth to remove any soap residue.
4. Finally, get a lint-free rag and dry your leather office chair.
If regular cleaning isn’t something you can do due to your busy schedule, consider buying a leather protector or conditioner. This will lessen the number of needed cleaning your office chair will require to stay in tip-top shape.
We recommended the Weiman Leather Cleaner and Conditioner .
The bottom line
If you want your office chair to last you a lifetime, then taking proper care of it is the only way to make that happen.
Ensure regular cleaning and maintenance on your office chair to immediately address issues before they turn into more serious problems.
Additionally, take note of the appropriate cleaners to use for your office chair type. This will help prevent unwanted damages from happening to your office chair.
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.