Want to damage your chair quickly, Amigo?

Easy. Just give it to a professional wrestler in a no rules match or… allow dirt to accumulate without regular cleaning.

But don’t worry. It is just as easy to keep your chair in tip top condition. And you don’t have to brake your back doing it either. All that is needed is a few minutes here and there.

Here are five dead simple (but necessary) procedures you can do.

Vacuuming of textiles

Yes, your chair will accumulate dust quickly. If you don’t believe me slap the chair a few times on the back and notice the cloud of dust surrounding your chair. The dust that accumulates causes friction between your body and the textiles of the chair. It is this friction that causes damage to the chair.   A quick vacuum once a week or so will do in most cases, unless you are staying in a very dusty or dry area. Don’t forget to attach the upholstery attachment to the vacuum cleaner.

Just remember – vacuum cleaners like dust, chairs don’t.

Washing of the Base, Frame and Arm Pads

Warm water and a mild detergent will do the job in most cases. Use a soft cloth, soak the cloth in warm water and gently clean the chair. Then wipe the area you just cleaned with a dry cloth.
Just one word of warning.  Stay away for harsh detergents and solvents.

Prevention is better than cure

1. Be careful not to bump your chair’s arms against your table when sit very close to your desk. First price is to remove the arms before moving closer to the desk. If that is not possible or too much effort, at least lower the arms to a level that you are sure will clear the desk.
2. Ensure there is enough space behind the chair for you to recline or to push the chair back when you get up otherwise the backrest may hit the wall causing damage.
3. Be on the lookout for items in the vicinity of the chair’s base that can scratch it.

Cleaning of spills, spots and stains on fabric

This is in all likelihood the hardest of all cleaning jobs you will encounter. Like I said prevention is always better than cure, but accidents do happen every now and again. Many times it is not your own doing either. (Thanks Rover, but just to let you know this is my chair. No amount of marking will make it your chair.)

Anyway. I will sort out Rover later. Let’s continue.

If you spill something on the textiles of the chair, soak up the majority of the spill with a cloth, but do not dry it completely otherwise the spot may set.  The quicker you soak up the spill after the accident the easier it will be to clean. Next you want to use a cleaning agent to clean the remainder of the spill or stain. The type of agent will depend on the nature of the spill. You also want to choose the correct temperature water.

Here are some general rules.

1. If the stain is water based you want to use a water based cleaning agent. Warm soapy water will do in most cases.  However if the stain is tannin based, don’t use soap. See below.
2. If the stain is oil based you want to use a cleaning agent specifically for oil based stains.
3. Avoid soap when cleaning tannin based stains as it will be harder to remove.  Half a teaspoon of liquid detergent in a liter of water will do the job. Examples of the more frequent tannins you may encounter include coffee, tea soft drinks and jam.
4. Only use cold water when cleaning protein based stains. Hot water will set the stain permanently. Examples of protein based stains are milk, egg, urine and blood.

Once you have selected the correct cleaning agent, test a small portion on the fabric first to ensure no damage occurs. If that is the case, use a soft cloth and lightly apply the cleaning agent to the fabric.  Rather give the area a few light applications than one heavy one. Soak up any excess cleaning agent with a clean cloth and allow the area to dry. Once dry, give it a thorough vacuum.

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions

Very few people know more about your chair than the manufacturer. Read the chair’s manual and do what they say. If you don’t have the manual handy, you can download a copy from most good manufacturer’s websites.

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