If you are a hardcore gamer, you are expected to use your gaming chair for hours and hours every day. You will spend this time on strategizing, exploring, building, shooting, racing, but also on eating while playing. A wrong move and your chair may end up with a coffee spill or a greasy stain on it. The chair also accumulates body oils and dust over time. That’s why, it’s crucial that you clean it on regular basis to keep it in spotless condition and comfortable to sit on. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to clean gaming chair efficiently.
Step 1. Identify the type of upholstery
First of all, it’s important to understand that gaming chairs are made of different materials, hence their care regimen is different too. The most popular types of upholstery used in gaming chair manufacturing are mesh, fabric, polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. Each material requires a special way of cleaning using specific products and tools. If you use the wrong product, you can cause chair’s aesthetic and structural damage which will lead to its early replacement. CYBERART advises to check the upholstery type on the chair’s label, manufacturer’s instructions or go online and read the product listing.
Step 2. Dust and vacuum
Now that you have the information about the chair’s material, you can proceed with the cleaning. Start by dusting or vacuuming the chair to lift the dust and debris particles stuck to the upholstery. If your chair is made of fabric or mesh, you can go ahead with a vacuuming session. Use the regular attachment on mesh and the brush attachment on fabric to force the ingrained dust out. Keep in mind that most dirt and dust accumulates around the corners and seams of the chair. So, make sure you take your time for a detailed cleaning. When it comes to PU and PVC chairs, wiping them down with a microfiber cloth would do the trick. In order to avoid much elbow grease during a deep clean, you are better off to vacuum and wipe down the chair once a week.
Step 3. Remove spills and stains
Once you have finished picking up the dust, the hard part comes. Using the appropriate solution for each material, you have to remove the tough stains and spills that affect the chair’s look and make sitting on it uncomfortable. But before you jump into action, check the chair’s tag to see what type of cleaner the material is compatible with. Letter S means you have to use a solvent to lift stains, while W let’s you know that the upholstery tolerates only a water-based solution. S/W allows you clean the chair with either water or solvent. Never underestimate this step, as you can end up with a serious damage caused to your chair by the wrong product.
1. DIY cleaner for fabric
For cleaning fabric, combine 400 ml of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar and a tablespoon of detergent. Agitate well to ensure the ingredients blend into one. Then spray the mixture on the chair, but don’t oversaturate the upholstery, as it may take ages for it to dry. Use a brush to scrub the stain out. Once the chair gets spotless, rinse with water and let dry in a warm and sunlight-free environment. It’s important that you don’t let the chair exposed to direct sunlight, as it may lead to material fading.
2. DIY cleaner for mesh
Those who are asking how to clean gaming chair made of mesh can try the following homemade solvent. Mix vinegar and water with a ratio of 1 to 3. Pour the solution in a spray bottle and shake for proper blending. Spray the mixture on a microfiber cloth and blot the mesh. Be gentle to keep any potential damage at bay. Keep in mind that mesh is a delicate and vulnerable material. That’s why, scrubbing is not recommended. Just make patience your best friend and blot continuously until the chair gets clean. If the stain is a hard nut to crack for a simple vinegar solution, you will have to use a more powerful weapon which we will discuss about later.
3. Solvent for PU and PVC leather
PU and PVC leathers prefer a water-based solution rather than detergents and acidic agents, like vinegar. However, sometimes a pinch of dish soap is welcome. You can use either a water-based solvent or just warm water, which you saturate a soft cloth or a sponge with and apply on the leather. TopGamingChair suggests to blot or wipe the PU or PVC leather, instead of scrubbing, to prevent aesthetic damage. Good news, leather chairs take faster to dry. You can leave it air dry or use a dry cloth to wipe the moisture off. Moreover, leather is less absorbent than fabric and mesh. It impedes water getting deep into the upholstery and causing mold growth.
Step 4. Fight off stubborn stains
Some dried spills and tough stains aren’t so easy to remove using solvents. Luckily, you don’t have to spend a fortune on sophisticated store cleaners. All you need is some rubbing alcohol and a couple of cotton balls or cotton rounds. Dip the ball into rubbing alcohol and gently blot the material. Always apply the alcohol on a chair’s inconspicuous area first to make sure it doesn’t affect the upholstery anyhow. This cleaning method aims at fighting off extremely stubborn food, drink, blood, and pet waste stains. However, you shouldn’t use rubbing alcohol during every regular cleaning, as it can affect the chair’s appearance. Use it only to lift stains that are no way removable with solvents.
Step 5. Clean the rest, frame and base of the chair
Cleaning other parts of the chair than the upholstery is an easier task, as they are mostly made of a hard material. Use warm water combined with some regular household detergent to make the chair parts impeccably clean. Dip a cloth or a sponge in the soapy water and scrub the armrests, the frame and the base. Start from the top and work your way to the bottom to ensure the liquid doesn’t drip down and mess the parts you have already cleaned. While upholstery cleaning forbids it, vigorous scrubbing is welcome when cleaning the hard parts of the chair, as the risk of damage is low. However, avoid using brushes with harsh bristles to deal with the hard stains, as they may scratch the chair reducing its visual appeal.
Step 6. Clean the casters
Many gaming chair owners avoid cleaning the chair parts that their body doesn’t come into contact with. One of the most overlooked parts are the casters or the wheels of the chair. There are some ways the casters get dirty. They get messed by the fallen food, get pet fur wrapped around them, and accumulate dust over time which is typical of every piece of furniture in the house. So how to clean chair’s wheels?
To begin with, do your best to remove the tangled hair which can clog the wheels and impede them rolling. But first, remove the wheels to make your work easier. Typically, the wheels are removed by hand or using a screwdriver. If the wheels are not detachable, just turn the chair upside down so the casters are facing you. Use tweezers to cut the stubborn locks of hair and pull them without any effort. If you don’t have clippers or tweezers handy, unbreakyourself.com suggests to use duct tape, which does a great job of removing the hair stuck around chair’s wheels.
Moreover, to make the chunks of hair more willing to come out, you can heat them up. Use a box of matches, a lighter or a blow torch to heat the fur and melt it to ashes. However, the heating method is the most dangerous of all mentioned, so you have to be extremely cautious to prevent burning the chair parts. Aim the flame directly to the pile of hair and remove it after a couple of seconds to check if the hair has burnt.
Once the hair is off, move on to dusting and washing the wheels in case they are removable. First off, run a wet cloth across the wheels to remove the surface dust. Then use a mixture of warm water and dish soap to get rid of dirt and stains. Feel free to apply some brute force while scrubbing to loosen stubborn dirt. Be sure, the hard marterial will stand up to the extra pressure.
Closing thoughts
Cleaning a gaming chair is an easy task, yet you have to follow a set of rules to prevent chair’s damage. Those who were wondering how to clean gaming chair efficiently and safely know now that it’s crucial to check the upholstery type and acceptable solvent on the chair’s tag before starting cleaning. It’s also important to remember that a thorough chair cleaning is not about cleaning the upholstery alone. You should also address the hard parts including the frame, the base, and the wheels that can accumulate much debris, dust and hair over time.
