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CLEANING, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR
The following activities are recommended in order to extend the life of the wheelchair and improve its performance. The
user and his or her assistant should receive proper training from a qualified wheelchair service provider or technician
before attempting to do any wheelchair maintenance on their own. Wheelchair repairs and replacement of parts should
be done by a qualified wheelchair technician.
How to take care of the wheelchair
Contact your wheelchair service provider if you find any problem with the wheelchair during the following inspection
and maintenance activities.
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We recommend you do the following activities weekly:
•
Check the pressure of the tires. The tires should be properly inflated at 60 PSI. Inflate the tires if needed. The Liberty
wheelchair comes with an air pump Figure 20. Contact your wheelchair service provider if any of the tires is flat.
•
Check the seat and backrest cushions, lateral side pads and all the covers. The covers should be in good condition,
clean, and not have any holes or tears; the zippers should be working well; and the Velcro strips should not be worn
or torn. The foam and padding should not be deteriorated or chipped and should bounce back when pressed.
•
Check the rear wheels. Check the tires for tread wear. Replace tires if they have flat spots, cracks, or worn-out tread.
All the spokes should be tightened equally, and not missing, broken, or bent. Both rear wheels should roll straight
with no excess drag, pull, side motion or rubbing. The axles should be properly tightened with no excessive play. The
quick-release buttons should slide through the axle sleeve smoothly and lock into position. The push-rims should be
tightened to the wheels and should not be dented or bent.
•
Check the front casters. Both should be touching the floor evenly and be vertically aligned. The caster wheels should
not be worn out or cracked and spin freely around its axle. The caster assembly bolt should be tight and have a cap.
The caster assembly should rotate around its axle freely and without excessive play.
•
Check the wheel locks. As tires wear the wheel locks should be adjusted. They should be tightly attached to the frame
and properly engage the tires. Refer to page about how to adjust the wheel locks and contact your wheelchair service
provider if they are not working properly.
We recommend you do the following activities monthly:
•
Check all the fasteners on the wheelchair frame and seating system. Make sure they all are tight and secure. Unless
otherwise noted, fasteners should be tightened snugly. Do not over tighten. If any fastener is missing, stripped or
broken, contact your wheelchair service provider. The Liberty wheelchair comes with a Maintenance and Assembly
Toolkit Figure 21 with the appropriate wrench, socket, and screwdriver sizes.
•
Check the seat and backrest pans for cracks, dirt, fractures, or any
metal part that may be sticking out.
•
Check the anti-tippers. They should lock into place properly
and not have any broken parts (including the small caster).
•
Check the frame, weld points, holes, and bends to confirm that they
are intact. Contact your wheelchair service provider immediately if
you identify any crack or fracture in the frame.
•
Once a year have the wheelchair checked by a qualified wheelchair
technician.
Cleaning
22) Frame
Remove the seat and backrest cushions from the frame.
Remove any other fabric covers from the frame, calf strap, chest harness, and pelvis strap.
Wipe down the wheelchair frame, at least once a month, with a clean, damp rag and pH balanced soap (like a dedicated
car-wash product).
Take the rear wheels off for better cleaning of the frame.
23) Covers, chest harness, calf and pelvis straps
Take all the fabric covers off and hand wash with mild soap. Dry in the shade.
24) Cushions and pads
Remove the cover.
Lay the foam cushion or pad on a surface that can get wet.
Fill a spray bottle with one-part mild soap liquid detergent and two-parts warm water. Shake the spray bottle to mix the
solution.
Spray the entire surface cushion or pad. Flip it over and repeat on the other side. Once you’ve finished spraying both
sides, let the soap solution set for 20 to 30 minutes.
Wipe the soap solution off with a damp washcloth. Do not spray with water.
Allow the material to air dry but avoid direct sunlight. Depending on how wet the foam is, it may take 24 hours to several
days to completely dry.
Put the cover back on each cushion in the correct orientation (zipper rear or downwards).
25) Rear wheels and front casters
At least once a month, remove lint and hair build up from the axle bearings of the rear wheels and caster wheels. Contact
your wheelchair service provider if you hear any noise or if the wheelchair has become harder to push.
Clean around the rear wheel axles and the axle sleeves with a damp rag weekly.
Every six months disassemble the caster housing to remove entangled hair.
Do not use WD-40 or any other penetrating oil in this wheelchair. Do not use any chemical cleaning agents on casters
or tires.
Figure 21. Hand tools included in the Liberty’s Maintenance
and Assembly toolkit.
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UPMC-SCI. (2015) Wheelchair Maintenance Training Program. Retrieved from: http://www.upmc-sci.pitt.edu/node/924.
