The baby car seat is a necessity in every family car, but sometimes we forget how important it is to keep your baby and children’s car seats squeaky clean. They are a must-clean item, especially if you are a parent who frequently takes your infant out for car rides.
But how to clean baby car seats? You want to keep your baby’s car seats squeaky clean because a baby’s immune system is still developing, and a dirty car seat may contain germs, fungi, and viruses.
As a parent, you may be wondering how to clean a baby car seat properly without ruining the seat and compromising your baby’s health. This article will provide the essential steps to clean your baby’s car seat and what you can use to clean your car seat the right way.
Let’s get to it.
How to Clean Baby Car Seats?
There is a unique way to clean each infant car seat model. This article will help you through the procedure, but you should always refer to the company’s manual for your particular car seat for directions on adequately cleaning it.
Remove Car Seat and Clean What You Can
Taking the entire seat out of the vehicle and placing it on a cloth, such as an old blanket or a tablecloth, should be your first step. The seat should also be free of any toys or other attachments.
Clean up any wet messes as soon as possible, then vacuum the dried, crumbly dirt from the seat before cleaning the whole car.
Take off the Fabric Covers and Padding
For better cleaning, remove the seat’s cover and any detachable padding. Remove the covers according to the directions in the manual.
You may also take pictures along the way to use as a guide on reassembling it.
Clean the Covers, Straps, and Padding
You may hand wash the car seat covers and straps with a bar of mild soap and water because it can affect their quality and strength when put in a washing machine.
As for the padding, you can follow care directions to see if you can wash them. If not, then you can air dry it. You may dip the buckle in the water without wetting the strap.
Reassemble the Baby Car Seat
Once you’ve finished cleaning, let the car seat air dry thoroughly before reassembling it. Leaving it under the sun for a few hours can help remove any lingering odors, making it smell clean and new.
Use a baby-safe disinfecting wipe once the infant car seats dry naturally and allow disinfectants to dry. Finally, reassemble the car seat and check if everything is in place and tight.
What Can I Use to Clean My Baby Car Seat?
Bleach and other harsh chemicals can harm or weaken some parts of the car seat so use a gentle detergent. When cleaning the chair, you should use a damp sponge or towel and nothing abrasive like steel wool.
Cleaning the car seats with a tiny handheld vacuum is a good idea at the beginning of the cleaning process. You may also need some baby wipes to clean up any remaining bits.
Finally, in addition to the soap and other cleaning materials, use warm water.
Final Thoughts
Before cleaning your baby’s car seat, review the instruction manual. There may be certain dos and don’ts that come with it that can help you keep your car seat longer.
Furthermore, you cannot wholly avoid the mess in the car when you have kids, so to lessen the clutter, you can always use a spill-proof bottle, covered snack cups, and large bibs.
And there you have it – now you know how to clean a baby car seat.
Keeping your baby car seat clean doesn’t have to be a painstaking task and it most definitely isn’t beyond the scope of any super mom out there! Keeping on top of this simple task is just another way to be able to better protect your little ones from getting unwell or catching any viral or bacterial infections.
Simple 🙂
