Care of Your New Office

As with all high quality capital investments, proper care and maintenance can keep your cubicle systems looking and working like new for many years. Cubicle systems are designed with replaceable parts and the ability to upgrade or repair. Your dealer and manufacturer provide parts and services to assist you with this task. Here are a few tips on office furniture maintenance.

Office Panels

Why replace cubicle panels when a thorough cleaning will restore the original beauty of your cubicle systems at a fraction of the cost? Yes, there are now services that can dry clean the fabric of your panels on site. This process removes excessive soiling caused by years of dust accumulation or spills. It can be done at your location. And while you are at it, be sure to ask to have the panels treated to restore the original protection and prevent re-soiling of your office furniture. Fabric protection protects new and existing textiles, both inside and out, making them impervious to spills and spots. It reduces wear and abrasion, extending the useful life of textiles without impairing functionality. For a quick solution to wear in a high traffic area in a cubicle you can order a "tack board", a bulletin board that hangs from the slots in your cubicle panel system. Most manufacturers will be able to match the fabric to the fabric already on your panels. In the extreme case you can have your panels recovered with new fabric. This cost should be weighed against the cost of replacing the panels with new panels that will likely have technological innovations and more contemporary aesthetics.

Worksurfaces

High quality cubicle system worksurfaces are usually covered with high pressure laminate. This surface has a hard plastic surface and is the same as the surface used in your kitchen. As you probably know it is extremely durable; just be sure not to cut on it with sharp objects since they can mar its beauty and lower its wear and stain resistance. We don't recommend using Pledge for cleaning as it will make the surface slippery and result in a build-up over time. Cubicle worksurfaces may need occasional dusting depending on where they are used. To keep the surface beautiful, use a non-oily furniture spray. (Remember to clean the spray off several times a year to prevent build-up.) Furniture polish can also help hide fine scratches in the surface. For complete information about cleaning laminate worksurfaces visit the Wilsonart ® Care and Cleaning information pages.

File Cabinets and Metal Parts

Most of the metal surfaces on high quality cubicle systems and files are painted with extremely durable epoxy paints that will last for years under normal use. Ask your dealer to leave you with touch-up paint in a pen or spray form so that you can repair minor nicks and scratches in the surface of your office furniture. The metal raceways at the bottom of cubicle panels are especially susceptible to damage in the nightly cleaning program that exists in most offices. In addition to touching these up with paint, they can usually be replaced quite easily. High quality metal raceways will not fade with time and can be replaced on site.