Wheelchairs whether electric or they are manually controlled are designed for easy maneuvering and you do not need any training or a lengthy manual before you can operate them. The only issue you may have is when they get dirty and need to be cleaned. Yes, you heard me quite alright. Just like vehicles, wheelchairs wheels get dirty too.
Quite a several times, people have complained to me about how hard they find it difficult to clean wheelchair wheels, and usually, I would give them a few tips to make cleaning easier for them. Now I figured out that isn’t enough, so I have decided to share some useful tips on how to keep wheelchairs wheel clean in this article. Keep reading for details!
Table of Contents
How do I keep my wheelchair clean?
- Brush off any visible loose debris on the wheelchair before wiping it down with a damp cloth.
- Thoroughly clean the wheelchair surfaces with any household disinfectant of your choice, focusing more on areas like the brake levers, push rim, armrest, and push handles.
- To ensure the process is safe, do not wet the fabric or any electrical components of the chair. Also, stay away from using aerosol or pressure to avoid spreading the stain further and unnecessary waste of water.
Note: The best way to keep your wheelchair clean is by cleaning them every day. And therefore, the above-suggested cleaning tips must be done daily.
Are wheelchair wheels dirty?
Yeah, wheelchair wheels get dirty. Just as vehicles, wheelchairs wheels pick up stones, dust, snow, gravel, mud, and all sorts of impurities as you roll them on the street. This is a thing that is common in both outdoor electric or manually operated wheelchairs. If you are the type that propels your wheelchairs by yourself, you may have noticed that your hands get dirty a lot. This is a result of rolling dirty wheelchair wheels by yourself.
How do you clean wheelchair wheels?
Cleaning a manual wheelchair
To clean the wheels of a manual wheelchair, just wipe them with a damp paper towel, cleaning wipes, or better still, a car washing mitt. After application, wipe dry moisture off the wheel. You can dry the wheels, with a dry towel or a blow dryer.
Cleaning the wheels of an electric wheelchair
Compared to manual wheelchairs, the wheels of electric wheelchairs are usually difficult to clean because they have deep tread that is usually hard to reach. As usual, when dealing with electricity, safety comes first. So you must, first of all, unplug the wheelchair. And also, during the cleaning process under no circumstances must you allow direct contact between liquid and any electrical part of the chair.
You can also clean your electric wheelchair with wipes or a car washing mitt. If you have some areas stuck on mud or gravel, scrub them using a hard brush with strong bristles. And as for the hard-to-reach places, especially areas around the battery region, make use of a blow dryer or compressed air to help get rid of dirt in these areas and every other crevice at the base of the wheelchair.
How do you clean muddy wheelchair wheels?
- Remove all the detachable parts such as the footrest and the leg rest on your wheelchair. If it will be easy for you to remove the wheels too, please do so because it will make cleaning them easier for you.
- Create a cleaning solution by mixing warm water and cleaning detergent in a bucket or bowl
- Dip a clean towel into this solution and use it to scrub the muddy surface of the wheels. You can also make use of a hard-bristled brush if the muds are not budging.
- For areas between the wheel spokes and the wheel, make use of a damp towel. If you want to ensure a thorough or general cleaning, the wheel bolts usually serve as hidden spots for grease and grime build-up, if possible, unscrew them and scrub them with a brush or toothbrush.
- As for the tires, clean them with a brush and tire cleaner to get rid of mud and other stains that may be on them.
- Dry the wheels afterward with a dry clean towel to prevent the wheels from corrosion and rust.
- Assemble all detached parts of the wheelchair.
How to clean a power wheelchair
- Unplug the wheelchair from the source of power
- Power wheelchairs usually have batteries, remove them to prevent damage to them.
- Dust the wheelchair chair with a towel or you can use a blower to blow off dust and debris.
- Spray the power chair with any disinfectant of your choice. You can use Lysol, dish soap, Windex, vinegar, 409 e.t.c. and leave it to sit for about 10 minutes.
- Wipe the treated surface with a paper towel or cloth.
- Scrub the joystick controller with a soft-bristled toothbrush or microfiber cloth.
- Vacuum the seat cushion thoroughly. You can remove them for easy access. If the seat cushion is made with vinyl, wash with mild detergent and warm water. If it is made with leather, use vinegar or a leather cleaner.
- Lastly, spray the base of the wheelchair as well as every other part with compressed air or you can make use of cleaning solutions to help get rid of dirt or debris leftovers.
How do you clean wheelchair casters?
- Flip your wheelchair over so that the wheels will be facing upward. You can place a drop cloth underneath to prevent dirt from dropping on the floor.
- Remove debris and dust by vacuuming them thoroughly with a vacuum cleaner or compressed air. If there is some stuck debris on the caster, scrape them off with a butter knife. Then follow this up by scrubbing with a brush damp with soap. If some hairs or threads are stuck in the wheels, use tweezers.
- Pry the caster pin out with a flathead screwdriver.
- Dip a clean cloth in rubbing alcohol or kitchen cleaner and rub-down the wheels with it as well as the wheel cover. If you are finding it difficult to reach the crevices inside the cover, use a cotton swab. And as for hair caught up within the wheel, make use of a crochet hook.
- Wipe treated areas with a dry towel or a blow dryer.
- Spray lubricant moderately on the inner part of the wheel. If there are any excesses, wipe them off immediately as they can attract dirt.
- Screw back your wheels.
Wheelchair wheel cleaners
Cleaning wheelchair wheels may be challenging, but the good news is that you can use almost any cleaner to clean them as long as the detergent is safe for your floor. For safe cleaning, make use of multipurpose cleaners like 409, simple green, purell, 9 elements, and the like.
Are wheel cleaners safe?
Yes, wheel cleaners can be safely used to clean your wheelchair wheels. Wheel cleaners are made with top-grade cleaning ingredients and can be applied safely to your wheel without any side-effect whatsoever. You can only have issues with using alkaline wheel cleaners that contain phosphate and other dangerous chemicals that can damage the cost of your wheel.