How to Clean your Wheelchair?
Once you have spent the time, effort and money to add some flair to your chair you want to make sure your wheelchair stays beautiful all year long. Regularly cleaning your wheelchair not only keeps your ride looking great, it also helps keep your chair working smoothly, prolongs its useful life, and helps you minimize the spread of germs.
How often you clean your wheelchair really depends upon your lifestyle. If you use your wheelchair outdoors a lot you’ll probably want to clean your chair at least once a week. If you typically use your wheelchair indoors you won’t need to clean it as often. The key is to set a cleaning schedule that works for you and to stick to it – it will make cleaning your wheelchair easier and faster.
Check out these manual wheelchair cleaning tips & tricks:
*Before cleaning consult the owner’s manual for your specific wheelchair for manufacturer cleaning guidelines.
Frame
- Always use a clean soft cloth to wipe off painted or chrome/aluminum finished parts.
- If necessary, use mild soap and water or glass cleaner. Make sure to dry all components that become wet to avoid rust and corrosion.
- DO NOT use abrasive pads or cleaners, steel wool, or petroleum-based cleaners as they can damage the finish of your wheelchair.
- Use a non-abrasive auto wax on painted parts and an auto polish for chrome and aluminum parts every three months to keep your wheelchair shiny and help protect it from scratches.
TRICK: If you notice you have chips or scratches on painted parts of your wheelchair many manufacturers sell bottles of touch up paint.
Axles and Other Moving Part
- Wipe off, pick out or blow away any dirt, hair, clothing threads, etc. that are caught in the axles and other moving parts of your wheelchair as they can interfere with the part’s smooth performance.
- Use a slightly damp (not wet) cloth to clean around moving parts.
- Use auto tire cleaner on your wheelchair tires to give them a little extra shine.
TRICK: Compressed air works great for blowing out dirt/dust and an old toothbrush is perfect for cleaning those hard to reach areas of your wheelchair.
Upholstery
- Hand-wash your seat sling and back upholstery using water and a mild detergent or upholstery cleaner.
- Allow upholstery to air dry.
- DO NOT machine wash or dry upholstery as it may damage the fabric.
- Use an upholstery protector like Scotchgard™ (for cloth upholstery) to help protect against stains or Armor All® (for vinyl upholstery) to help prevent discoloration and fading.
TRICK: To remove general odors try Febreze® or for urine/feces odors use pet odor neutralizing spray that can be found at your local pet supply store.
If you have some wheelchair cleaning tips or tricks make sure to share them by leaving a comment.
