You’ve picked out your shiny new gaming chair. It’s assembled and looking fiiiine. Now, how do you maintain your gaming chair and keep it looking this way? Never fear, Overclockers UK is here with another handy dandy guide.
We’ve pooled together all our best life hacks and cleaning tips for keeping your gaming chair in tip-top condition. We’ll take you through how to clean the various components of your gaming chair, as well as recommend a few products to increase its longevity.
Keep Your Gaming Chair Clean
Keeping your gaming chair clean is a key factor in maintaining your throne. It’ll stay looking fresh as the day you bought it, plus all the ergonomic features and breathable qualities will stay working at their best. So, the important question is: how do I clean my gaming chair? Naturally, the answer is going to depend on what fabric your gaming chair uses, but don’t worry. We have tips and tricks that will work for all kinds of gaming chairs.
Spot Cleaning
To start with, spot cleaning. This is great for when you’ve spilled your coffee or can of Monster, whether your chair is fabric, PU leather, or real leather. Simply take a damp cloth and dab at the mess. Try not to scrub, as that can damage the material. Repeat the process as necessary to remove the stain. If it is proving stubborn, introduce mild detergent and keep dabbing.
Spot cleaning is great for little spills and messes, but your gaming chair will need semi-regular deep cleans, too.
Deep Cleaning Leather Chairs
A note before I begin, “leather” is being used as a catch-all term for leatherettes, PU, and real leather. Save listing all the different types every time. Very similar to spot cleaning, the best method for deep cleaning leather chairs is a damp cloth and mild detergent. Instead of just targeting dirty areas, however, you would need to wipe every surface and into the seams.
I keep mentioning the term “mild detergents”, but what do I mean? Well, a cleaning agent that doesn’t contain harsh solvents or bleach. These will damage the leather material, potentially even discolour them. If rooting through your cleaning cupboard to find something suitable sounds like a hassle to you, may I introduce the noblechairs Premium Care Kit?
This cleaning kit has been specifically designed to be used on leather-style fabrics – whether your gaming chair is a noblechairs or not! So long as the upholstery is leather (remember, catch-all term), then this premium care kit will do the job. It contains two microfibre cloths, a polishing sponge, cleaning gel and care gel. The cleaning gel has been purposely crafted to remove dirt without damaging the leather, whilst the care gel forms a protective layer on the surface. Plus, it has a subtle leather scent for that extra touch of luxury.
Deep Cleaning Fabric Chairs
Deep cleaning your fabric chair is a little different. It’s not as simple as running a damp cloth over the surface. They take longer to dry and it’s even more of a minefield finding a detergent you can use. Visible dirt can be tackled by the hose on your vacuum cleaner. You can even use all the different attachments to give the whole surface a good clean!
If you did want to go down the soapy route, then a small amount of liquid laundry detergent will be safe to use. Fill a bowl or sink with water and a blob of detergent, then dampen a cloth and dab at your gaming chair until you’ve worked the entire surface. Try not to have your cloth too wet; the more moisture brought to your chair, the longer it’ll take to dry. You can press a dry towel onto the fabric, to absorb any excess, but it won’t be dry enough to sit on for a while. So, make sure you give your gaming chair a deep clean well before you want to play!
Additionally, we advise you bring the chair to the water, rather than the other way around. It’s always best to keep water away from your electricals, especially when they are your beloved gaming PCs!
Remember to Remove the Pillows
A pillow set is great for enhancing comfort, but they, too, need to be cleaned and maintained. It won’t do to just clean around them. When you deep clean your gaming chair, remember to remove your pillows so you can clean underneath them. What’s more, certain pillow sets are machine washable! A noblechairs Memory Foam Pillow Set can be put in the washing machine, set to a maximum of 40-degrees.
Want something a little bit special? Then check out these Special Edition noblechairs Pillow Sets, with exclusive designs from Marvel, Star Wars, and more!
Replacement Gas Springs
Taking care of your gaming chair’s base is just as important. Grime and surface dirt can easily be spot cleaned away, using the damp cloth and mild detergent same as before. But what about when mechanisms start to deteriorate?
We can do everything possible to slow the decline, but components like the gas spring see a lot of heavy usage. It’s arguably the hardest working part of your gaming chair. This component bears the brunt of the weight and has moving parts, as this is usually how you adjust the height of your chair. Therefore, it stands to reason that your gas spring may start to fail whilst the rest of your chair is still in good nick.
Rather than buying an entirely new chair, you can extend your current throne’s life with a replacement gas lift. We have two available from noblechairs, a 50mm and a 15mm model. The 50mm model is 5cm shorter than the standard gas lift in noblechairs gaming chairs, which makes it the ideal choice for shorter gamers, whether replacing a tired gas lift or simply adjusting the chair to better suit your height. The 15mm model is only 1.5cm shorter than the noblechairs gas lift, making it more of a direct replacement than the previous model. Whichever size suits your need best, these gas springs will breathe new life into your chair base!
Invest in a Floor Mat
Most gaming chairs now come with casters that can be used on soft or hard flooring. It’s a fabulous feature, as it means your game space is not dictated by what flooring you have down. That said, carpet fibres, pet hairs, and general dusty bits will find their way into the crevasses of your gaming chair’s wheels.
Introducing a floor mat will help to reduce the amount of gunk pulled up from the floor as well as extend the life of your casters. Cheeky bonus, it will also protect your floor from the hard wear your gaming chair puts it through. Say goodbye to wheel grooves in your carpet and scratches on your wooden flooring!
Use a Brush to Clean the Casters
Of course, dust and crumbs are still going to make their way into the nooks and crannies of your casters. Our top tip is to use a brush to clean them out. You’ll need a relatively thin brush with firm bristles, so your cleaning can be super precise. It’s the perfect way to clean all those difficult-to-reach places. Plus, it means you won’t be sticking your fingers into the wheels and risk getting pinched every time the chair shifts. Need to keep those fingers in good nick for gaming!
TLDR; 5 Easy Steps to Clean Your PC Set Up
General Tips for Long Term Care
Keeping your chair clean is one of the key ways of maintaining your gaming chair. But there’s more to it than conducting the occasional deep clean. Here are our top life hacks for keeping your gaming chair in great condition.
- In addition to deep cleaning, you should regularly give your chair a quick once over. Spot clean spills and such immediately, then light clean with a damp cloth and mild detergent at a time interval that suits you. Once a week, once a fortnight sort of thing. This will help prevent the build-up of sweat and oil on your chair. For fabric gaming chairs, give it a quick hoover.
- Don’t leave your gaming chair in direct sunlight. Getting a bit of sunshine and vitamin D is all well and good for your own wellbeing, but for your gaming chair being left in sunlight will make colours fade. Certain fabrics can even become cracked and damaged.
- Use your chair properly. Sit how you’re supposed to sit, don’t use it for office jousting, no cannibalising parts for a super ergonomic toboggan – that sort of thing. Using your chair the way it was intended is going to help maintain the longevity of your throne. (Though the ergonomic toboggan does sound fun.)
- Finally, as adorable as it is, we shouldn’t let our pets sit on our gaming chairs. Their claws could damage the upholstery, and we can only hope they don’t see any part as a chew toy. As a puppy person, myself, I am all about finding a way round this one, though! Protect the upholstery with a thick blanket or, better yet, sit down first and just have them in your lap!
Got that deep clean itch? Take a look at our spring cleaning hub!
What Are Your Chair Cleaning Hacks?
We love a good life hack. What have you found works best for cleaning and maintaining your gaming chair? If we like your tip, we’ll add it to the list!
- 9 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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