How to Clean the Wheels of a Rolling Office Chair

Rolling task chairs are great for allowing you to move around your desk easily. But when the wheels of your office chair stop working well, the chair moves from being a convenience to being a struggle. The wheels often stop working because they become clogged with dirt, hair and other debris. Fortunately, cleaning the wheels of a rolling office chair is a simple task that can return your chair back to a pleasurable piece of furniture to use.

Things You’ll Need

Butter knife
Kitchen cleaner
Rags
Cotton swabs
Tweezers

Cleaning Office Chair Wheels:

Flip Your Chair

Place the chair upside down on the floor with the wheels sticking up. Sit in another chair in front of the one you are working on. This gives you easy access to the wheels.

Remove Larger Debris

Scrape any debris off the wheels with the butter knife. The knife will fit through the slots and under the wheel cover. This allows you to remove most of the debris preventing the wheel from rolling. Be careful not to use too much force and create gouges in the plastic wheels, which will prevent them from spinning properly. Use the tweezers to remove hair that might be caught in the wheel. If you want, you can remove the wheels from the chair for this step, but since you will be working with a knife, it may be best to have the chair securely holding the wheels in place, instead of your hand.

Remove the Wheels

On most chairs, the wheels easily pull off. Some office chairs may require a screwdriver to unscrew the wheels from the chair.

Wipe Away the Mess

Rub down the wheels with a cloth, trying to remove any substances still left on the wheels. Wipe around the wheel cover as well as inside it. If your finger does not fit inside the cover, cotton swabs work great for getting into the narrow crevices.

Dry Each Wheel Thoroughly

If moisture remains inside the wheel, it can cause squeaking or give dirt something to more easily stick to. Use either clean rags or paper towels to dry the wheels. If you are at home, a blow dryer on low can work well, too.

Lubricate

Spray the inside of each wheel with a spray lubricant. Just a little should do fine. Wipe off any excess lubricant as it can attract and hold dirt.

Reattach the Wheels

Pop the wheels back on your chair or screw them back on, and enjoy.

Rolling Office Chair Tips:

A chair mat can be a great way to keep your chair’s wheels cleaner longer.
If dirt or dust fell to the floor during the cleaning process, vacuum the area. You don’t want the dust moving back into the wheel grooves.
Many lubricants attract dirt, but some do not. If your wheels have metal to metal contact, use a greaseless lubricant. If your wheels are all plastic, a silicone lubricant will work best.