Figuring out what it takes to clean office chair caster wheels can sometimes be a bit of a challenge.
Sometimes the rolling experience from office chairs can be compromised because of the accumulation of dirt on the caster wheels.
Depending on the type of chair you have, you might have experienced that your chair’s casters are dirty with hairs and dirt, and to make them roll again like before, you will definitely need to clean them.
Today I’m going to share with you how easy it really is and what you’ll need to clean your office chair caster wheels.
What Exactly Are You Going To Need to Clean Your Office Chairs Caster Wheels?
- Two Screwdrivers: Try to use strong screwdrivers as you will have to apply some force through them. If you use light screwdrivers, they might get bent. Again, flathead screwdrivers are more preferred.
- A razer Blade: This will be necessary to cut hairs and threads that will get stuck into your casters.
- A long Needle: this needle will help you remove dirt and hairs as well.
Step 1 – Keep your Office Chair in an Upside-Down position:
Let’s do the easiest thing first. To get easy access to the caster wheels, you have to take your chair upside down.
For most standard office chairs, this shouldn’t be very hard. You will be able to do it alone.
But if your office chair is a heavy one, you might wanna take help from another person for this.
Big and tall executive office chairs are often very heavy. If you have those types of chairs, just ask a friend to help you out with this step.
However, most standard office chairs are not that heavy, so it is most likely that you will be able to do it by yourself.
Step 2 – Remove the Casters from the Base:
To clean the caster properly, it is necessary to remove them from the base of the chair. Otherwise, cleaning won’t be easy.
How to Remove Office Chair Caster Wheels?
For most office Chairs removing casters is pretty simple. You can just grab it and pull it out. Grab the caster in one hand and the chair’s base in another, then start pulling each of the casters out. This takes a little bit of force.
Some casters come out easier than the others. There is a grip ring in the stems of the casters that keeps the Casters in their places. In this step, all you have to do is pull the casters out.
If the caster doesn’t come out, try to rotate it around. A different angle might make this easy by providing you with more leverage to bring the caster out.
Step 3 – Dismantle the Caster Wheels:
Taking most chair caster wheels is simple and easy. Most people can do it effortlessly while others struggle. When I dismantled a chair caster for the first time, it took a lot of effort. Let me tell you how to do it easily.
How To Take Apart Caster Wheels?
You will need two screwdrivers for dismantling casters. Make sure that the screwdrivers are tough enough as you might have to put lots of force.
All you need to do is hold the wheel and 0slide one screwdriver under the axle and slightly push it out.
Then take another screwdriver and then put it through the other side of the axle and hold both screwdrivers; use force and twist it and pull it up so that one side of the wheel comes off.
Step 4 – Clean the Dirt From The Casters:
After you have successfully dismantled the casters, do the following things to remove dirt from your casters:
Start with Your Finger:
After popping the casters open, you will see lots of dirt, hairs, and threads that are attached to the wheels. You have to use your fingers to take out as much dirt as you can.
Take a razer Blade:
If you notice that the hairs and threads don’t lift off, then take a razor blade. Be careful with the blade. Just slide down and try to cut the hair gently. This should get it out of most of the dirt.
Now Use a Long Needle:
Finally, you might see that there are some places that contain dirt and you couldn’t reach them with your fingers and the blade, use a needle to help you with that.
Step 5 – Open the Other side of the Wheel:
Now, after you are done opening and cleaning one side, it is time to look at the other side of the wheel. This is very simple. All you have to do is push it from the other side using the screwdriver.
When it pops out, you can do the same cleaning thing as you did in the previous step. First, try to remove the dirt with your finger.
If it is too tough, then grab your razor blade to cut and take off the hairs and threads. After that, if necessary, use the needles as well.
Step 6 – Wash the Caster With Water:
Now to clean it totally uses water. This will help you to remove all the remaining dirt in your casters.
When you splash water on the casters, you might notice that dirty water is coming off the caster. Keep splashing water until it gets clean. Then let the casters dry properly. Give it enough time.
Step 7 – Lubricate the axle and Reattach the wheels:
Now after the wheels are dry and clean, you can use some vaseline to lubricate the axle of the wheel so that it spins well.
If you see that the wheel spins well without lubricating, then it is not that necessary.
If you use vaseline to lubricate the wheels, then you will notice that your chair will roll perfectly.
Now put the wheels back together and then reattach them to the base of your chair. That’s it. You are done cleaning the office chair casters all by yourself.
Related Questions:
How Can I Fix Broken Caster Wheels?
I think it is better to buy new ones than to repair broken wheels. If your caster wheels are stuck and do not roll properly, I would definitely recommend you clean them rather than buy new ones.
But if the wheels are broken, then it is probably better to get new ones as caster wheels are not that expensive at all.
Where Can I Find Good Caster Wheels For My Office Chair?
To be honest, caster wheels are not very hard to find. There are some good quality casters that will provide better and long-lasting service than the wheels that came with the office chair from the manufacturer.
If you are looking for good-quality office chair casters, check out our recommended ones by clicking here.
Besides, if you have a hardwood floor or carpeted floor, these wheels will not harm your flooring as most built-in casters do.
Final Thoughts:
There You go! If you find your casters are not working properly and stuck, then cleaning them properly is the only option to fix them. Try to clean your office chair’s caster wheels once or twice every year.
Also, after cleaning, don’t forget to lubricate them. This will definitely improve your rolling experience.
I have tried to show you the easiest way to clean the casters of your office chair. I hope this article was helpful. If you have any queries, you can let me know in the comments below.
Thanks for reading!! Before you go, please take a minute to check out our article on, Why Do Office Chairs Have Five Wheels?
