Employees rarely shy away from clean office chairs. It’s the chairs that harbor unsightly stains and unpleasant smells that make workers cringe. You can maintain a hygienic workspace and extend the life of the office chairs by keeping them clean with these eight practical tips.

Due to their high use by employees over the years, office chairs harbor a staggering number of bacteria. Some studies show that the furniture seats contain 21,000 germs per square inch. Several types of bacteria teem within office environments in general.

The bacteria staphylococcus aureus is found in office spaces where skin comes into contact with items, like chairs. Staff suffering from weakened immune systems have a higher risk of getting sick by pseudomonas aeruginosa, another common bacterium teeming in office environments.

When the office chairs are torn, it’s an ugly sight—but also a prime breeding ground for bacteria. Tiny microorganisms enter through the torn materials, making it difficult to clean the chairs. Bacteria delves deep into the cracks and scratches in office chairs, which makes them hard to disinfect.

Besides germs and bacteria, office chairs are littered with food crumbs and spilled beverages. The seating becomes soiled and stained, leading to offensive odors and an ick feeling. No one wants to sit in “that” office chair. Fortunately, office chairs can be adequately cleaned.

What are tips to clean office chairs?

Tip 1: Vacuum

A hand-held vacuum suctions out tiny food particles, lint, dust, and hair from the nooks, crevices, and cushion seams of fabric chairs. If the vacuum comes with attachment, it can be effectively used to remove the dust and allergens from the fabric upholstery.

Today’s office chairs can be complex to clean, with hard-to-reach corners and lots of parts. The tight areas may be inaccessible with a hand-held vacuum. In these instances, opt for a duster or a can of compressed air to clean out areas accumulated with dust and lint.

Tip 2: Launder the Covers

Chair cushions might come with removable covers. If so, remove the covers and toss them into a washing machine to be laundered. Use a cool wash cycle and mild detergent to lift existing stains. It’s recommended to check the manufacturer’s instructions on the label before washing.

Tip 3: Remove Stains

Dish soap is the ideal stain-remover. Mix warm water and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray the stains, then scrub with a soft cloth. Lift stubborn stains by sprinkling baking soda over them followed with a spritz of vinegar. Clean off with cool water afterward.

For tougher stains, opt for an alcohol-based cleaner. Before using this more potent solution, test an inconspicuous area of the chair to ensure the cleaner does not damage the material. Apply a few drops of the alcohol cleaner and remove the residue with a damp cloth.

Tip 4: Wipe Down the Chair

The office may feature a series of mesh chairs, which are valued for their ergonomics and breathability. However, they must also be cleaned, since crumbs, dust, and dirt gather in the mesh fabric. After vacuuming, wipe down the mesh with a cloth dipped in soapy water.

Tip 5: Spray the Chair

An alternate cleaning technique for office chairs is to lightly spray them with a solution of lukewarm water and a few drops of dish soap. Avoid saturating the chairs with the solution, as it can soak through the insert and damage the furniture’s materials.

Tip 6: Use Specialized Leather Cleaners

Specially formulated leather cleaners are necessary to clean leather chairs covered in tough stains. Leather chairs without severe staining can be simply wiped down with a solution of water and dish soap. Clean out the tight spaces, like seams or cracks, with the help of a cotton bud.

Tip 7: Rinse and Dry

Once the chairs have been wiped down with the soapy solution, it’s important to follow up with a rinse. Dip a clean cloth in water and wipe away the soap residue. Use a second clean, dry cloth to wipe down the hard surfaces, such as armrests and chair legs.

Soft surfaces should be allowed to air dry after cleaning. If the newly cleaned chairs are urgently needed, remove the moisture by blowing a hair dryer on a cool setting over the damp surfaces. A wet/dry vacuum can likewise eliminate the lingering moisture.

Tip 8: Clean Regularly

Office chairs require vacuuming and a wipe-down once a week. When employees spill drinks, clean up the liquid right away with soap and water to prevent staining. A protective waterproof spray helps repel liquids. Keeping the chairs clean prevents having to deep clean often.

It’s important to maintain the office chairs with regular cleanings. Office chairs in good, clean condition are keepers when the company relocates to a new building. If a corporate move is on the horizon, choose Chicago Office Movers for exceptional office moving services.

We transport a range of office items, such as machinery, labs, libraries, cubicles, and chairs. Moving crews are licensed, background-checked, and experienced in safely handling office goods of all shapes, sizes, and levels of fragility. You can rest assured your possessions will be carefully transported.

Companies satisfied with their current location may instead opt for renovating their space. Chicago Office Movers is prepared to help you move, store, and install the furniture, fixtures, and equipment. We’ll work with you to tailor a plan so that you achieve your renovation goals.

Corporate customers benefit from our comprehensive services, including warehousing and decommissioning. Once you’re ready to retrieve your items from our secure storage space, our moving crews will safely deliver them to your facility and assist with any installation or assembly processes.

Chicago Office Movers is the number one commercial mover for local companies seeking highly efficient relocation services or professional assistance with decommissioning and warehousing.

Call our Chicago, Illinois, location at 312-244-2246 (CHI-CAGO) or fill out a form for a free estimate.

The upcoming office relocation invokes a flurry of anticipation as well stresses. One of the hassles is deciding whether or not to discard the existing office furniture and replace them with pristine ones to better suit the brand-new digs.

Reasons abound for selling off the old furniture in favor of the new:

1. Size

Businesses shift gears when their company downsizes or expands. Your future office space will accommodate the changes in business structure. For example, when companies expand, business owners are likely to invest in extra square feet, meaning the building will be larger.

Relocating to Smaller Office

When your business merges with another company or is forced to lower costs in order to stay afloat, downsizing is the solution to remaining profitable. As a consequence, relocating to a smaller office will be in the business’ foreseeable future.

In either scenario, business owners will want furniture that fits into their new workspace. Properly sized desks, chairs and cabinets add to, rather than detract from, the ambiance of the future setting. Old furniture may be either too big or exceedingly small to suit the new floorplan.

Relocating to Larger Office

Office staff may feel awkward working in a huge room fitted with tiny desks. The atmosphere hardly sits right. On the other hand, lugging the enormous desk and chairs from the previous office and stuffing them into the new, cramped room will be equally uncomfortable for employees to work in.

The solution is to invest in brand new office furniture, ones that ideally fit the new floorplan. What results are comfortable employees who can focus on their tasks, rather than letting their minds wander in either the vastness of the office space or the squeezed, snug room they inhabit.

2. Aesthetic

Akin to producing a pleasing workspace is tending to aesthetic. The parrot-green chairs from the 1960s may have served the company well for decades but introducing these outdated furniture items into a contemporary space with clean lines and neutral colors fails to incorporate style.

BICOM Communications, for example, renovated its office spaces to include contemporary wood paneling and faux grass. Imagine bringing in heavy, antique desks and chairs. You can see how the resulting mood would undermine the designer’s original vision of creating a space that inspires creativity and collaboration.

Or, take a cue from Google Japan. The company renovated its workspace to feature bold wall colors and splashy patterns. Bringing in dated furniture from a prior space would hardly sit ideally in this new one. Colors would clash, making moot the point to create a fun, upbeat office environment.

Rather than repaint the new office walls to suit old furniture, the more sensible approach is to exchange the existing furniture for items that meet the aesthetic requirements of the new setting. Even natural lighting, or the lack thereof, can alter the look of the furniture and the overall space.

3. Condition

Practicality has its place during a relocation. Old furniture may be so worn that it begs for an update. When shifting to a new building, seize this prime opportunity to invest in new furniture. Your mint desks and chairs will last far longer than the tired ones from years prior.

Plus, what employees would want to put forth their best effort while sitting in ripped chairs, working from dented, scratched desks and pulling paperwork from file cabinets that stick? Your staff will experience a boost in happiness and productivity from a simple, timely furniture update.

4. Surplus

An office move inspires change and evaluation. When considering the layout of your new office space, factor in what is necessary and what is not. Over time, office buildings can accumulate a medley of excess furniture, including broken chairs that have yet to see the insides of a trash bin.

Or, during the process, you discover your staff requires only one cabinet instead of four. Relocating prompts business owners to re-evaluate. You are forced to toss the surplus and nonfunctional. Shifting gears provides excellent reasons to purchase furniture that is more relevant to the new workspace.

5. Convenience

Matters of convenience can spark change. Consider that wrapping the shaky cabinet with loose hinges in order to prepare for moving day will cost business owners more in time and money than investing in a new, functional one. Avoid the hassle and sell the old goods.

Selling used office furniture can provide business owners with some cash, especially if the furniture is desirable and in high demand. However, companies are rarely in the know when it comes to understanding what items are in demand and at what times. Demand is extremely unpredictable.

If 150 office chairs need to be sold and there is no demand or interest from third-party companies, some services will provide the labor and time to remove these goods from your workplace. You may feel satisfied getting rid of the old furniture, even if there is no monetary payout.

Work with a Commercial Mover

When a corporate move is on the horizon, Chicago Office Movers has you covered. Our experienced team of union, commercial movers have successfully relocated common office equipment, like heavy electronics, HVAC equipment, assembly lines, libraries and various standard furniture items.

As dedicated, professional office movers, the team at Chicago Office Movers does not stop with simply shifting your office property to a new building. We will also help you set up your new furniture and equipment in the new space. Plus, our dependable storage solutions are ideal when your new office is not yet ready to be moved into.

Chicago Office Movers reliably serves the Windy City. We’ve helped our customers move from the city, into Chicago and within the metropolitan area. No matter how large or small your business happens to be, Chicago Office Movers is prepared with the skilled manpower and equipment to safely and efficiently relocate your business.

Contact Us

A free estimate is available at 312-244-2246 for business owners who are ready to plan their upcoming office move.