Office workers know the toil that is coming in to sit in a chair for eight hours before going home again. In most cases, the people in charge of the office space know this, giving employees comfortable, upholstered office chairs. Unfortunately, we know the bugs and other things hiding in upholstery, so being vigilant about upholstery cleaning in the office is important, especially when a lot of time in the day is sitting in it. Even the coveted former manager’s chair isn’t worth the things you’ll find after sitting down. But never fear! Upholstery cleaning is here along with some tips to keep your office chairs clean and comfortable.

Check the label

Before getting into the clean, the first thing you want to check on upholstered chairs is the tag. Just like how some clothes have specific instructions on how to clean them, upholstery does, too. The most common codes you’ll find are W, S, WS, X, and D. Thankfully, these labels are easy to interpret. 

• W = water-based cleaners

• S = solvent-based cleaners

• WS = water and solvent cleaners

• X = vacuum cleaning only

• D = dry clean only

Spot treatments

The most important part of treating upholstery is to clean up any stains as they are made. For water-based cleaners, first try just water and a white cloth or paper towels. Colored cloths can transfer the color onto upholstery. If that doesn’t work, a little bit of clear dish soap will help. 

Solvent-based cleaners are cleaners where you don’t add water. In these pieces of upholstery, water will leave water marks and shrink the upholstery. Dry cleaning with a solvent cleaner is the most effective way to get the spot out of the chair. Vacuum afterwards to make sure the stain is removed completely. 

Having a WS upholstered chair, it can be cleaned with both water and solvents, just not at the same time. 

Spot cleaning for vacuum and dry cleaning only is a little more of a challenge. The first thing to try is blotting the stain with a dry cloth or paper towel. Getting to the stain quickly is imperative to removing the stain this way. There are specific cleaners that can get out stains that have set in these types of upholstery.

Regular vacuum and dust

Vacuuming removes particles that make upholstery dirty and wear down easier. These include dust, dirt, skin, and all kinds of things. Having a regular schedule to vacuum the upholstered chairs in the office will keep them in pristine shape for longer. It also doesn’t hurt to dust off the other parts of the chair to keep the dust away from the upholstery. The added bonus of having a clean environment makes this a great idea for offices. Our suggestion is to vacuum and dust the office chairs once a week or once every other week, depending on how often people are in the office.

Professional upholstery cleaning

Office upholstery is not only for the employees. The clients or customers that walk in will take note of how clean it looks. While carpet is one of the most noticeable differences between being dirty and clean, office chairs can make a difference. If you are looking for a way to make your office look more professional and be more comfortable, professional upholstery cleaning is recommended once a year for offices.

Professional upholstery cleaning might even save that one chair you don’t know what to do with. Give Lucas Family a call if you would like your office to get a makeover.