How to Clean and Maintain a Gaming Chair

VALK gaming chairs are built to handle years of heavy use. With quality materials and some basic maintenance, your chair will keep both its looks and its performance for far longer.

Here are the two halves of it: the routine cleaning, which is five minutes a month, and the mechanical service, which you do twice a year and which is what prevents creaks, play and breakdowns.

1. Synthetic leather: quick and risk-free

Synthetic leather (PU or PVC) cleans up in under five minutes. Half fill a glass with warm water, add a drop of mild soap and lightly dampen a microfibre cloth. Wipe gently, without scrubbing, and dry straight away with a second clean cloth.

One thing to watch: if your chair uses microperforated leather, wring the cloth out properly so water does not get into the perforations. Let the chair air away from direct sunlight and it is ready for the next session.

2. Fabric: vacuum, treat, let it dry

Fabric picks up dust and crumbs more easily. Every two or three weeks, go over it with a vacuum and a brush attachment.

If you get a fresh stain, sweat or a splash of something fizzy, press down with a damp cloth rather than dragging it across the fabric. Older stains come out with a solution of warm water and mild soap applied in gentle circles. A home trick that genuinely works: sprinkle bicarbonate of soda over the damp area, wait five minutes and lift off the excess with another clean cloth. Then let it air dry, no hairdryer and no strong sun.

3. How often

4. Casters: the source of 90% of the noise

If you hear creaking as you move, it is almost always dirt in the axle. Wipe each caster with a damp cloth, spin it, and cut away any hair or fibres caught inside with tweezers or a fine blade. Once the bearing is clean, a dab of soft grease brings back the smooth roll.

Once a year it is worth going further and cleaning inside. Most casters are push-fit, so you can pull them out firmly, clear the axle with tweezers or a cotton bud, wipe it with a slightly damp cloth and apply a drop of light grease before refitting. That is where everything you cannot see builds up.

5. Bolts: 5 minutes that add years to the chair

With daily use, the bolts on the base and backrest gradually work loose. Twice a year, go over every fixing point with the Allen key that came in the box. You gain rigidity and you stop play from damaging the mechanism.

Two details that make the difference:

• Order: base first, then the sides of the seat, backrest last.
• Torque: firm but not forced. Once the bolt stops turning, another half turn is usually enough.

6. Lubricating the mechanisms

Over time, metal joints lose the thin layer of grease they come with from the factory and start to squeak. You need WD-40 or lithium grease in spray form and a cloth to wipe off the excess.

• Mechanism, under the seat. Spray lightly on the pivots and the spring housing.
• Backrest recline hinge. Apply to the hinge and move the backrest back and forth so it works its way in.
• Gas lift. Raise the chair to its highest setting and spray the exposed section. Wipe off the excess so it does not attract dust.

General rule: less is more, a thin film is plenty.

7. Gas lift and tilt tension

If the chair sinks on its own, or the tilt feels too loose or too stiff, it is time to calibrate.

Height. Try several positions and check that the gas lift holds steady with your weight on it. If it is losing gas and sinking gradually, it cannot be repaired and needs replacing.

Tilt tension. The knob under the seat controls how firm it is. Turn it clockwise for more tension and anticlockwise for less. As a reference point, if the backrest drops away suddenly when you lean back, you need more tension.

8. Spare parts and extra adjustments

If a component reaches the end of its life (gas lift, casters, cushions), you do not need a new chair. Our spare parts section has original components and class 4 gas lifts, the highest rating on the market, in different lengths so you can match the chair height to your desk.

9. Look after the upholstery to prevent cracking

On synthetic leather, lack of maintenance combined with damp will eventually crack the material. It is the most common long-term problem and very little effort prevents it. We cover it in how to stop synthetic leather from cracking.

Stick to this routine and your VALK will stay quiet, stable and smooth-rolling for years. If anything is unclear, drop us a message through the Help Centre and we will give you a hand.