I have been using a Secretlab Titan fabric gaming chair full-time for around 2 years. It taught me that fabric upholstery absorbs dust, sweat, and body oils. Over time, these build up as smelly stains. I needed an answer: how to clean a Secretlab fabric chair? After many tests, I came up with four effective and accessible methods. If wondering how to clean a fabric gaming chair of any type, this article has the solutions.
Fabric gaming chairs are soft and breathable. The downside is that they absorb body oils and dust. Over time, these build up as bacterial stains. This produces a ripe smell, like grossly unwashed blue jeans.
I first noticed mild staining after using my Secretlab Titan fabric gaming chair full-time for around six months. I tried to ignore them. But as time passed, the stains grew darker and smellier. To preserve the beauty of my chair — and my workstation hygiene — I had to take action.
Through trial and error, I came up with four methods to effectively clean or deodorize a fabric gaming chair.
How To Clean A Secretlab Fabric Chair
The methods used to clean Secretlab fabric chairs in this guide are applicable to all fabric gaming chairs — with a caveat. All grades (both cheap and expensive) are made from spun plastic polymers. Most are stain resistant and ultra durable.
I’ve scrubbed aggressively on Secretlab and AndaSeat fabrics using a hard brush several times. There’s never been any sign of the fabric wearing down, fraying, or losing its color.
Beyond gaming chairs, you may need a more delicate touch. For example, any hard scrubbing on a Herman Miller Embody can ruin its fabric! In contrast, Steelcase endorses a vigorous wet-dry vacuum scrub to clean its fabric office chairs.
Advice: most gaming chair fabrics can handle aggressive scrubbing, chemical upholstery cleaners, and direct sunlight treatments. High-end fabric office chair users should read the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions before using these methods.
Four Fabric Gaming Chair Cleaning Methods
| Rank & Model | Details |
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The most effective deep-cleaning fabric gaming chair method.
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Deodorize by breaking down dirt particles deep in the fabric.
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Remove stains using a generic cleaning spray. Then, sop up the excess using a damp towel.
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Use direct sunlight to quick-dry a cleaned fabric chair. Can also be used (sparingly) to obliterate bacteria with direct UV ray hits.
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Wet-Dry Vacuum Deep Clean
For this method, I used a Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner ($99.99 on Amazon). This wet-dry vacuum can be used to clean area rugs, fabric car seats, and fabric gaming chairs.
An 8 oz. trial bottle of fabric cleaning solution is included with the Little Green (enough for 3-4 full cleanings). Here’s a quick clip showing its cleaning power on gaming chair fabric:
Bissell Little Green Cleaning Method
- Follow the included instructions to add cleaning formula and water into the Little Green’s tank.
- Spray the solution onto the stained parts of your chair’s fabric.
- Suck up the solution and dirt using the Little Green suction vacuum.
- Repeat the 3 steps until the solution getting sucked up turns clear.
- Let your chair dry before using it.
The amount of dirt the Little Green sucks out of your chair may blow your mind. The results are incredible. Expect your chair to look (and smell) brand new after a thorough 20-minute cleaning.
Beyond cleaning my Secretlab fabric chair, I also used my Little Green to clean my mousepad, velour armrest caps, and even de-dust my PC!
Verdict: a powerful, effective cleaning solution that every fabric gaming chair owner should consider. Highly recommended.
Learn more: Bissell Little Green Fabric Gaming Chair Cleaning Review
Deodorize With A Baking Soda Bath
Over many months of sitting in a fabric gaming chair, sweat and body oils build up as smelly bacteria. Luckily, getting rid of fabric gaming chair odors is very easy.
Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) is natural and non-toxic with powerful cleaning potential(1). When mixed with water, it dissolves dirt and grease. Applied dry on a chair, it works as an abrasive to lift dirt for easy removal. It also has powerful deodorizing properties.
Generic Arm and Hammer Baking Soda does the job. However, I prefer using a scented version. Beyond its baking soda base, this adds a clean, fresh scent. (It also works great at deodorizing mattresses).
To deodorize a chair or a mattress, follow these steps:
- Apply a liberal amount of powder onto the soiled surface.
- Work the baking soda into the fabric using a microfiber cloth.
- Give the chemical reaction time to unfold.
When the powder finds dirt particles, it breaks down particle compounds. That eliminates odors and loosens bits for the vacuum to suck up.
Quick Scrub Fabric Chair Stain Removal
Giving your chair a thorough baking soda bath will break down dirt particles deep in the fabric. Then, it becomes a bit easier to manually scrub out fabric gaming chair stains.
Method 1: Use A Generic Stain Removal Spray
Go to your local supermarket/ Amazon and look for fabric upholstery cleaning solutions. You should find a few different brands. I’ve tried a few that were similarly effective.
To make sure a cleaning spray doesn’t discolor your fabric, test it first. I like to use a spot on the back side of my seat.
Once you confirm the solution is safe for your fabric, spray generous amounts onto stained areas. Then, scrub away the dirt using a scrubbing pad or brush.
Summary of Steps
- Buy an upholstery cleaning spray; test it on a discrete part of your chair first.
- Generously spray stained parts of your chair.
- Scrub away the stains using a hard brush or scrubbing pad.
- Sop up the cleaning residue using a damp towel.
Method 2: Laundry Detergent Quick Scrub
After a few cleanings using stain removal sprays, I felt like I needed more cleaning power. Given how well laundry detergent cleans clothes, I thought it would work well on a fabric gaming chair. I was right!
All you need is a dishwashing scrub pad, some water, and laundry detergent. Put some detergent on a pad, moisten it, and then scrub out the stains as hard as you can.
Pro-tip: scrubbing harder removes stains more effectively. After a round of scrubbing with a dishwashing pad, do a second round with a hard-bristled brush. See this clip for a quick demo:
Washing Out Detergent Residue
Scrubbing stain removal solution or laundry detergent into your fabric gaming chair will effectively remove stains. But without a wet-vacuum, getting cleaning chemicals out of your chair after scrubbing is difficult.
I pour water into a towel and then try to ‘sop up’ as much cleaning residue as I can. However, this leaves a lot of dirt (and detergent residue) under the surface. That creates two potential problems.
First, if you have sensitive skin, the leftover detergent residue might cause itchiness. Second, leaving dirt under the surface ensures that stains will reappear soon (usually within 2-3 months).
Advice: scrubbing works well if you have no other cleaning options. However, scrubbing every 2-3 months gets tiresome. Once I got sick of it, I finally broke down and bought a Bissell Little Green wet-dry vac.
Important: Dry Your Chair Fully Before Use
If you use any cleaning method that puts liquid into your chair fabric, dry it completely before using it. Sitting on moist foam can distort its shape. Wet chair fabric rubbing against clothing might also cause (permanent) stains.
Option 1: Dry Your Chair In Direct Sunlight
My favorite drying method is to place a freshly-cleaned fabric chair in direct sunlight. Beyond fast drying, sunlight is one of the world’s most powerful natural disinfectants(2). If any bacteria survived the baking soda bath, this step will finish the job.
Put your chair under direct sunlight for an hour or so. That’s plenty of time to let powerful UV rays obliterate lingering bacterial buildups.
Option 2: Blow Dry / Dry Overnight
If you can’t dry your chair in direct sunlight, you can let it dry naturally overnight. If your chair isn’t too wet — and you live in a hot climate — that might be enough time. Alternatively, you can speed things up with a blow dryer.
After cleaning your fabric chair, run a blow dryer over the wet spots until you see visible signs of drying. That should take around 10 minutes. Then, leave your chair to dry overnight. With a blow dry warmup, your chair should be 100% dry when you wake up.
Poor Workstation Hygiene Problems
Why Fabric Chairs Get Sticky & Smelly
The human body has around 1.6 trillion skin cells. Around 40,000 of them fall off every hour (3). Over eight hours of sitting, around 320,000 cells will fall off your body as dust. A lot of that will seep into the nooks and crannies of your gaming chair fabric!
The body also secretes sebum, an oily substance that keeps skin moist. The average skin surface area of an adult is 18,000 cm2. (4) The average sebum production rate for adult males is 1.45 mg per 10 sq cm of skin every 3 hours.
Skin and body oil buildup breeds bacteria. Apocrine sweat glands in your groin then release proteins and lipids for bacteria to feed on. As bacterial colonies break down dried sweat, the offensive smell of body odor intensifies(5).
In a faux leather chair, skin dust and body oils are easy to wipe off with a damp cloth. In a fabric gaming chair, dust and oils will penetrate deep into your chair’s upholstery.
Poor Hygiene And Depression
Studies show that unkempt workstations negatively affect cognition, mood, emotions, and behavior. Indeed, I found working in a stained fabric gaming chair depressing. When guests visited and saw my chair, I felt dirty and ashamed.
There’s a scientific basis for my shame. The brain’s executive functions control higher reasoning. This is where the brain executes plans, focuses attention, and exerts self-discipline.
Executive dysfunctions include difficulties planning, organizing, and problem solving. This mental state makes a person feel too fatigued to take action(6).
Advice: How To Clean Other Chair Types
The previous section listed ways to deep clean, remove stains, and deodorize fabric gaming chairs. This section lists cleaning tips for users of other types of gaming and ergonomic office chairs.
- Clean a leather gaming chair: use a microfiber cloth + water.
- Deodorize a leather gaming chair: use a dry baking soda or direct sunlight bath.
- Clean a fabric office chair: Steelcase suggests a hearty scrub and wet-dry vacuum treatment.
- Clean an Embody fabric chair: too fragile for scrubbing; gentle vacuuming is recommended. If stains appear, use upholstery cleaner blotted in gingerly with a towel.
How To Clean A Secretlab Leather Chair
All types of gaming chair faux leathers are chemical plastic blends pasted onto a thin layer of fabric. I’ve used two different Secretlab blends: 2020 Prime PU Leather and 2022 Neo Hybrid Leatherette. Both are very easy to keep clean — with one simple trick.
A clean towel moistened with bottled water does a decent job at cleaning gaming chair leather. However, look closely and you’ll notice a lot of dust and splotches left behind.
Clean Chair Leather With A Microfiber Cloth
Instead of a towel, you’re better off using bottled water and a microfiber cleaning cloth. You can find these in most supermarkets for a few dollars.
Microfiber is 1/100 the diameter of a human hair. Each strand is made of split polyester and polyamide fibers. Instead of pushing dirt around, split fibers ‘hook’ onto dirt, dust, and even bacteria.
How To Deodorize A Leather Gaming Chair
Gaming chair faux leathers are water-resistant. Instead of seeping into the upholstery, sweat and dust remain on the surface and are easy to wipe off. A microfiber cloth and water does the job; add antibacterial wipes for extra disinfecting power.
Even so, there are three reasons you may need to deodorize a leather gaming chair. First, users with sensitive smell may find the chemical odor of a brand-new chair off-putting.
Second, users with pets may face accidents. Third, heavy smokers may end up with chairs that smell like ashtrays.
Easiest Method: Sunlight Bath
Direct sunlight is a powerful, natural disinfectant. Bad odors are typically caused by bacteria. Sunlight contains UV rays which kill bacteria by altering its DNA.
UV rays also break down chemical bonds in materials. Left in the sun too long will cause bleaching in a fabric. But left out for an hour or two can effectively kill chemical chair smells.
Power Method: Baking Soda Bath
You can also break down chemical smells in a leather chair by using a baking soda bath. Like UV rays, baking soda breaks down chemical bonds that cause odors.
To remove a new chair’s chemical smell using baking soda, follow these steps:
- Sprinkle a generous amount of dry baking soda onto your chair’s seat pan and backrest for 1-2 hours.
- Vacuum up the baking soda from your chair.
- Wipe your entire chair down with a damp microfiber cloth.
This should sufficiently deodorize a new chair’s chemical smell. Heavy smokers and pet owners who need even more power can (gently) work the baking soda deeper into the material with a damp microfiber cloth.
This will feel abrasive against your faux leather but will not scuff it. Scrub it around with moderate pressure, let it sit for 1-2 hours, and then wipe it off. BOOM! Your chair is now deodorized. Learn more:
How to Clean A Fabric Office Chair
Many office chairs come with fabric padded seats and backrests. For instance, the best Steelcase chairs come in a choice of genuine leather or soil-retardant fabric upholstery.
Steelcase Fabric Office Chair Cleaning Advice
Steelcase gives this advice(7) for cleaning its fabric office chairs:
The problem with these instructions: many wet vacuums only work with a special type of cleaning formula. For example, Bissell warns that its Little Green Wet-Dry Vacuum only works with Bissell cleaning formula:
Steelcase Support
Advice: modify Steelcase’s fabric chair cleaning advice based on your wet/ dry vacuum specifications. If you use a Bissell Little Green, make sure to use only Bissell-approved formulas.
How To Clean An Embody Chair
Herman Miller Embody chairs come upholstered in 100% polyester fabric upholstery. It’s tested for abrasion durability, ultraviolet light resistance, color retention, and flame resistance.
According to Herman Miller cleaning instructions(8), a Bissell Little Green is not suitable to clean an Embody chair.
It instructs users to regularly vacuum as the main cleaning method. “Vacuuming picks up dust and reduces the need for professional cleaning.” It also disqualifies typical wet-dry vacuums by warning “do not brush”.
Embody Maintenance Guide
Notably, Herman Miller endorses my gaming chair towel sop-up cleaning method if you need to go beyond vacuuming. Its Embody Maintenance Guide offers this advice:
- Cleaning water-based stains: use a water-based fabric stain removal spray; work the solution into the foam; sop up with a damp towel .
- Cleaning oil-based stains: use a dry cleaning solution; do NOT apply water → “Excessive wetting may result in permanent damage to the material.”
- For large or resistant stains: “contact a professional cleaning firm.”
Whichever method you use, the Maintenance Guide warns “do not rub too vigorously or you may damage the nap of the fabric or break fibers.”
Advice: the Embody costs $1695+ and comes guaranteed for 12 years. To maintain the fabric, users should thoroughly vacuum the fabric monthly. For an extra disinfecting boost, use the direct sunlight method.
Related: Embody Gaming Chair Collection Review: 4 Fresh Styles!
Recap: How To Clean A Gaming Chair
Leather gaming chairs are easy to keep clean with damp microfiber cleaning cloth. Fabric gaming chairs are more complicated. Over two years of using one, I’ve discovered four useful cleaning methods.
If you sit full-time in a fabric gaming chair, you should deep-clean it every 3 months or so. Here are 4 easy options to remove stains and deodorize your chair.
| Rank & Model | Details |
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The most effective deep-cleaning fabric gaming chair method.
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Deodorize by breaking down dirt particles deep in the fabric.
|
|
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Remove stains using a generic cleaning spray. Then, sop up the excess using a damp towel.
|
|
|
Use direct sunlight to quick-dry a cleaned fabric chair. Direct sun UV rays will also obliterate bacteria colonies in your fabric.
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Cleaning Methods Applied To Other Chairs
Bits from each fabric gaming chair cleaning method can also be used on other desk chairs:
- Deodorize any fabric chair: apply a baking soda bath.
- Clean an Embody chair stains: use a fabric cleaning spray and the sop-up towel method.
- Clean a fabric office chair: do a Bissell wet/ dry vacuum every 6 months.
- Clean any faux leather chair: wipe down frequently with a damp microfiber cloth.
Best Fabric Gaming Chairs
In closing, if fear of stains has prevented you from buying a fabric chair, this guide should put that to rest. Keeping your fabric chair looking clean and stain-free for years is possible!
For a look at the top fabric models on the market right now, see this feature:
Best Fabric Gaming Chairs For Deep Relaxation
Footnotes
- Alexanda Ossola, ‘Why Is Baking Soda Such a Good Cleaner?’, Pubmed, Oct. 6 2016, https://www.thekitchn.com/why-is-baking-soda-such-a-good-cleaner-236104, (accessed 7 Feb. 2022).
- Boaz Amichai, et al. ‘Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants: the efficacy of sun exposure for reducing fungal contamination in used clothes’, Pubmed, July. 16 2014, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25167689/, (accessed 7 Feb. 2022).
- Imperial College London, ‘New insights into skin cells could explain why our skin doesn’t leak’, Science Daily [science news], 29 Nov. 2016, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161129114910.htm, (accessed 7 Feb. 2022).
- DT Downing, ME Stewart, JS Strauss, ‘Estimation of sebum production rates in man by measurement of the squalene content of skin biopsies’, Pubmed, J Invest Dermitol, 1981, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6219137/, (accessed 7 Feb. 2022).
- Stephanie Watson, ‘What’s that smell? Get rid of body odor’, Harvard Medical School, Oct. 15 2021, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-that-smell-common-and-less-common-causes-of-body-odor, (accessed 19 September, 2023).
- Magdalene Taylor, ‘What Do You Do When Depression Makes Basic Hygiene Feel Difficult?’, June 22, 2021, https://www.allure.com/story/depression-executive-dysfunction-hygiene-tasks, (accessed 19 September, 2023).
- Steelcase.com. ‘Cleaning and Disinfecting Steelcase Products’, Read the PDF, (accessed 19 September, 2023).
- Herman Miller.com. ‘Herman Miller X Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair Maintenance Guide’, Read the PDF, (accessed 19 September, 2023).
