If you work in an office, chances are that you have experienced smell coming from your office chair.
People often ask, “Why does my office chair smell bad?”
When you go to your doctor’s office, why does the chair in the waiting room smell gross?
Why does your office chair at work stink?
There could be many reasons why your office chair smells bad. Basically, the bad smell is due to some kind of microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi in your office chair. But how do they get there?
In this article, we will explore some of the main reasons why your office chair smells bad and how can you treat your chair for a bad smell.
Why does my office chair smell bad? 6 Reasons.
1. Insufficient ventilation in the room
The most common reason why an office chair smells is because of a lack of ventilation. Due to insufficient ventilation, various kinds of microorganisms can grow on the office chair seat fabric which can ultimately cause a bad smell.
2. Your feet could be the reason!
Your feet could also be a cause of your chair’s smell. This is especially true if you are someone who sweats a lot and there is little to no ventilation in your office. This is why it’s important to make sure you wear shoes when walking around the office.
3. Bacteria in the fabric seat
Besides sweat, bacteria can build up on fabric seats and cause them to smell as well. It’s best if you clean it with soap and water or a special cleaner for these surfaces so that they are not only clean but also odor-free!
4. Moisture in the seat
If your office chair seat is moist or wet, chances are that different kinds of fungi can grow there which can cause the smell.
A wet seat could also be causing this odor problem, and those are easily fixed by using paper towels or wipes to dry off any moisture that might have built upon them after washing them with soap and water!
5. Bug infestation
If there is any type of bug infestation, it will most likely be why your office chair smells. However, bugs can be identified very easily. If bugs are a problem, make sure to treat them as soon as you can because bugs can cause you other health concerns as well.
6. You eat at your desk
One of the common reasons why your office chair smells is that you eat at your office desk.
When you eat on your chair, food particles may fall on it which attract different insects and bacteria. When those bacteria feed on food particles, they start to smell bad.
It is therefore advisable that you avoid eating at your working desk.
If you must eat in front of your desk, there are some things you can do.
You should always clean out your food container before going back into the office space so that food particles don’t end up accumulating behind plastic slots in an effort to avoid spills from juices or sauces! Leaving crumbs or anything else will just lead to smells.
How do you get the smell out of a chair? 7 proven and easy methods
Now that you know what is causing the bad smell in your office chair, it is time to fix this problem.
We will show you some very simple, easy-to-do, and time-tested methods of removing odor from your chairs.
Let’s look at 5 easy ways to remove bad smells from office chairs.
1. Baking Soda
The first method is to use baking soda.
Now, you might have heard that baking soda can be used to remove bad smells from shoes and inaccessible corners of your room. This is because baking soda has the chemical property of absorbing bad smells.
Bacteria need acidic environments to grow. Baking soda, being basic in nature, neutralizes the environment for bacteria which leads to the elimination of bacteria.
So, how do you use baking soda on a chair?
The procedure boils down to three simple steps.
- First, sprinkle baking soda on your office chair.
- Second, tap the chair so that the baking soda is spread on it.
- Third, leave the chair overnight and use a vacuum cleaner to remove the baking soda.
2. Activated Charcoal
Next up we have something called activated charcoal which could also work very well when it comes to removing odors.
When a material like this has pores, these types of materials are good at absorbing different kinds of molecules including volatile organic compounds (VOC). VOCs are created by all sorts of things such as paints or cleaning products and they can emit foul smells into the air.
3. Vinegar
The third way to remove bad smells from your office chair is by using vinegar and water.
Vinegar not only contains acetic acid but other organic compounds like alcohol, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and nitrites which are all known for their antimicrobial properties that can combat bacteria or fungi growth.
The way to apply vinegar and water is by spraying the surface of your chair with vinegar and water. Let it sit for a few minutes before wiping it off and then using a vacuum cleaner to remove any excess liquid from the surface.
4. Lemon or Lemon Juice
The fourth way is by using lemon juice on your office chair, which has been shown as an effective means of removing odors!
This can be done by mixing some lemon juice into cold water in order to get that strong, citrusy scent! Then find yourself an old cloth rag and sprinkle some of the mixtures onto it so that you have something wet enough to wipe down surfaces without leaving streaks behind. If there are stubborn stains left while doing this, use baking soda mixed with warm water as well for more effectiveness
5. Tea tree oil
Next up we have a natural cleaning product called tea tree oil! This also has the same kind of aromatic plant oils as lavender does so this would be perfect if you’re looking for something with an earthy smell to it.
Tea tree oil will work best if it’s applied on fabric surfaces because what makes them effective at removing odors is due to their highest concentration in terpene molecules.
The way to apply tea tree oil is by putting a few drops on the fabric of your office chair and then rubbing it in. Leave it for an hour before wiping off any excess liquid with a cloth rag, making sure to stay away from leather surfaces
6. Fabreeze
And last but not least we have a product called Fabreeze. This is a great way to remove bad smells from your office chair because it can work as an air freshener at the same time!
It has two different modes so that you don’t just get one type of scent or another, and they are meant for:
-home mode which will give off scents like peppermint and lavender; and
-office mode which gives off scents like lemon verbena and eucalyptus oil.
It also doesn’t contain any kind of chemicals such as perfumes or colorings so this would be perfect if you suffer allergies or skin sensitivities. The only downside of using something like this is that it does not have any antimicrobial properties.
7. Sunlight
Exposure to sunlight is the most ancient method of removing bad smells from objects. Place your office chairs in an open environment where the chairs are directly exposed to sunlight.
Sunlight naturally kills a lot of microbes and thus reduces the smell. However, you must keep in mind that if your office chair smells too bad, sunlight alone will not be enough. In that case, you might need to couple sublight with at least one of the above-mentioned treatments.
Final Thoughts
What are your favorite ways to remove bad smells from office chairs? We have given you 7 different methods that we know of, and they’re all great! Some people prefer using lavender oil while others like vinegar. There’s no right or wrong way when it comes to removing odors so try out whichever one sounds the best for you!
You can also use Fabreeze as an air freshener which is a double-duty product because not only will it get rid of any foul smell but it’ll make your room smell pleasant at the same time. If none of these sound good enough for you then just wait until nighttime since exposure to sun light kills microbes, thus reducing foul odor production in your chair.
