How To Clean a Stained Office Chair

On average, we spend around 40 hours a week sitting in our office chairs. To put this into perspective, it’s a similar amount of time we spend in our beds – so it’s no surprise that they get dirty over time!

A coffee stain here, a few crumbs there, wear and tear of our office chairs is to be expected. With this in mind, it’s always worthwhile knowing how to clean an office chair. 

Over time, office chairs can become home to a whole host of nasty bacteria and sometimes when people see stains or unpleasant marks on their chair, they’ll simply throw it away and replace it with a new one.

Not only is this not cost-effective, it’s not good for the environment either. Instead, there are a variety of office chair cleaning tips you can follow to keep your office chair clean and hygienic. 

How to clean a stained office chair 

Due to their regular use, office chairs are exposed to all kinds of germs. So, it’s important to take some time every now and then to give it a bit of a clean. As well as eradicating any germs or bacteria, regular chair cleaning will also make your day-to-day work much more pleasant. 

While every office chair is made from different materials and therefore requires slightly different treatment, there is a general step-by-step process you can follow no matter what office chair you own.  

1. First, give the chair a good vacuum capturing all dust and debris 
2. Next, take a look at the chair’s upholstery tag and take note of any specific cleaning instructions 
3. Clean the chair and stains with soap and warm water 
4. Use a professional stain remover on stains which should see them removed 
5. An optional step is to clean your chair’s castors (these are the wheels) and apply a lubricant to help with the chair’s movement 

This chair cleaning guide is universal to all types of office chairs, but you can add additional steps for certain materials. For instance, you can repeat the stain remover step more than once until you’ve achieved the desired result. Once applied, leave it for a while (10 minutes is usually enough but check the product’s instructions if you need more guidance) and then use a vacuum on the spot as the cleaner should have pulled the dirt out of the fabric, meaning it can be easily sucked up. 

If you own a leather office chair, it’s a good idea to wipe it down with a damp cloth or wipes in order to keep it looking its best.

How to remove coffee stains from your office chair

A coffee stain is among the most stubborn type of stain you’re likely to encounter. With coffee prevalent in most office spaces, it’s also among the most common.

If you’ve tried removing the stain with the above method but it’s still there, there is an alternative office chair cleaning technique you can attempt. First, soak the coffee stain in cold water and blot with a towel. You can also use club soda. 

Continue soaking and blotting and you should start to see the stain disappear. If you get to a stage where this technique is no longer working, you can also use a domestic carpet cleaner on the coffee stain. 

Scott & Sons’ commercial cleaning services 

From commercial offices to schools, at Scott & Sons, we provide commercial cleaning services that keep workplaces in a whole host of sectors clean and safe. Incorporating a chair cleaning service into our offering, we’re able to tailor our approach specifically to your needs, maintaining a clean work environment that will reassure your staff and have them performing at their best. Our dedicated team operates across St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Watford, delivering a first-class service time and time again. To find out more about what we do, get in touch today.