You use the chairs in your office every day, and they’re bound to get dirty even if you’re careful. To ensure your chairs look their best year after year, take these tips for the regular cleaning and maintenance of all upholstery types.
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Always test cleaning techniques on an inconspicuous spot first. Try the bottom of the chair, the back, or anywhere else that doesn’t show. Make sure you test an unseen spot before you try a new cleaning method on the whole chair. Even if you only use a mild soap, you never know how certain substances might react with your specific chair. Testing a hidden spot first will ensure you don’t damage an important part of the furniture.
Remove stains immediately. The longer a stain sits, the harder it is to remove. Do yourself a favor and clean it up now.
Beware of breathing in harsh chemicals. If using a cleaning agent that has a strong scent or chemical smell, only clean in a well-ventilated area.
Always check your chair for a tag with cleaning instructions. Most office chairs have a tag under the seat that outlines care tips. Look there first before beginning any cleaning.
Fabric upholstery can usually be cleaned using water-based cleaning agents or water-free solvents. First, vacuum any crumbs that may be hiding in cracks and crevasses. If you don’t have a vacuum cleaner handy, use a can of compressed air. Next, mix a few drops of mild soap in a bucket of water. Using a soft, lint-free cloth, wipe this on your test spot first. If it looks good, wipe down the entire chair, then use a second lint-free cloth to wipe it dry.
Genuine leather upholstery can be cleaned in 1 of 3 ways: store-bought leather cleaner, vinegar and linseed oil, or rubbing alcohol and water. For a more detailed description of how to clean and maintain a leather office chair, read our guide to cleaning and maintaining leather furniture here.
Faux leather and vinyl are easier to care for than real leather. In many cases, you can clean faux leather and vinyl using water-based cleaners in the same manner as fabric upholstery, and many vinyl options can even be cleaned with bleach solutions. Double-check the tag on your chair for any special instructions to avoid damage. Read our guide to leather upholstery to learn more.
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Mesh chairs should be vacuumed regularly, as crumbs tend to get caught in the little spaces. Any remaining dirt or stains can be removed using a damp cloth, but do not drag the cloth across the mesh, as this can cause the material to fray. Instead, dab any problem areas until clean.
Plastic chairs can be cleaned with soap and water, but avoid using bleach, which can damage the material. For stains, dampen a soft cloth with white distilled vinegar and wipe. Baking soda on a wet sponge can also create a mild abrasive that eats away stains without damaging your plastic.
Wood chairs need cleaning too! Regularly wipe down your wood chairs with a dry lint-free cloth. For deeper cleaning, choose a wood polish and apply it to the chair in small amounts using a cloth. Like with your upholstery, you’ll want to test your polish on an inconspicuous area before going over the entire piece of furniture.
Metal chairs are relatively maintenance-free and can be wiped down with a damp cloth with or without mild soap.Usually those chairs take obvious UV damage from the sun. This can weaken them. (it does the same to child car seats, one legitimate reason to throw old ones out). If that's not a problem, the chairs are probably saveable...
...but you need to learn to paint. One rattle-can should do all 3 chairs. You went through a whole can because you're misusing it as a magical fixer, cleaner and surface preparer... And that does not work.
I would start by working each chair over with sandpaper, maybe 120 grit, to smooth off any oxidation and give a texture primer can bite into.
Then, well gosh, what do you have around and how much do you want to spend? Myself I do enough woodworking to have West System epoxy on hand, it's not a paint but it's perfect for stabilizing a stressed surface like this. I would use either that or a 2-part epoxy primer (or garage floor paint) and paint that on thin, with a throwaway chip brush. It would probably be about $5 worth of West System to do those. I like epoxy because I know it'll help stabilize and strenghen the chair. If I didn't have that, then maybe an oil based primer like Rustoleum white. I don't think a latex primer would stick, and rattle-can paint won't stick to it.
Then after the epoxy cures good and plenty (do not stack them for a few days!), I would sand a second time probably with a Scotchbrite pad, just to give the surface some texture paint can bite into. The surface should now be very uniform and hard and take paint well.
Then rattle-can it.
For more information, please visit How to Clean White Plastic Outdoor Chairs.