There are quite a few places and stuffs that get a lot of beating when you raise a child. And the baby car seat is one of those things.
Moms do have a lot of jobs to do for the baby’s wellbeing. Keeping the hygiene and cleaning in check is possibly somewhere top on that list. Just like how you should consider keeping your baby’s stroll, bed and clothes clean, a spotless condition of baby seat is also important.
And so, I’m here to talk about a few things on how to clean baby car seats.
How to Clean Baby Car Seats with Easy Steps & Bonus Tips.
Let me tell you worst-case scenarios with a messed-up car seat. There can be horribly vomit, nasty poops, milk splits all over. Also, not to forget scraps of food and spills of juices. You see, keeping your baby’s car seat clean is no less difficult than any Avenger’s mission.
But despite the fact, it’s pretty important that you keep on cleaning this seat as much as possible. Go for a deep cleaning every time you do the same for your entire car. Once or twice should be a good thumb of a rule to follow.
Here’s some instruction from what I like to follow for cleaning baby car seats…
Start with Gathering Necessary Supplies.
- You need some baby wipes and of course soft towels to get rid of dirt.
- A wet spot cleaning might require sponges.
- A handy tiny handheld vacuum is great at seat cleaning.
- A bucket full of warm water.
- If you have a small handheld vacuum, this will come in handy as well.
- Finally, a soap that comes with gentle formulation.
Wipe! Wipe! Wipe!
Nooks and crannies will come later, start by getting rid of solid debris first. And to do that, you need to wipe everything nicely. Some may think it’s going to increase the hour needed to clean unnecessarily. But for me, I’ve noticed that wiping up prior to cleaning the seat actually saves more time. This way it has only stubborn dirt and mess to deal with afterward.
Simply use a clean towel or baby wipes to do this. You can even try a handheld vacuum to get better results. Vacuums are an optional thing to use here since it makes cleaning easier.
Cleaning Padding & Cover.
Now to make things easy, you should remove the cover and detachable padding from your baby’s seat. Usually, car seats for babies come with removable covers. There should be clips or buttons available for removing. Start from the top and unfasten these to get it off.
Using cold water and a delicate washer cycle, you should be able to clean fabric covers. However, you should have a check inside the seat’s manual to be completely assured that it’s alright to go this way.
To rinse thoroughly, you should use a very mild detergent that does the cleaning job only without being too harsh. You should skip the dryer part. This might lead to losing the integrity of car seat parts.
In case, your manual tells that you can’t use the machine, go for lukewarm water to clean with hand. A sponge will help you to get rid of any spot or stains. They should fade after gently rubbing. Mild soaps are great to get rid of visible stains. You can use a gentle circular motion to clean the spots easily.
Time to Treat Buckles & Harness.
Start wiping down the harness with warm water and gentle soap. Don’t jump into using any heavy-duty cleaner at first. Rather try the soap water wiping method to clean as much as possible
Using harsh cleaner can be a reason for damage to the harness. This will surely compromise the quality of seat. And as a result, there can be irritations to your baby’s skin when he or she uses it later. Sometimes natural cleaners like vinegar can also cause potential damage. So as far as you can, it’s good to stick with mild and gentle solutions.
Cleaning up the buckles are pretty simple and straightforward. Switching these around in the water will help to eliminate debris. This dirt is usually loaded in little corners and groves. You should check the manual for these as well. There can be specific instruction related that you should be aware of. In most cases, manufactures have different suggestions and rules on cleaning buckles.
Cleaning Base & Frame.
The easiest parts to clean of a baby seat is probably base and frame. A vacuum cleaner is the best solution and helper here. However, it’s only meant to get rid of dry mess which is the only thing to handle for most cases.
After the vacuum, follow up with warm water and soap cleaning. Get rid of any dirt from the entire frame. Use a clean cloth or fabric to wipe the parts so that no soap residue is left behind.
Air Drying.
Next, you need to place the seat somewhere easy to air dry. To get rid of any bad odor, you can also keep it under sunlight. After a period, you will have a freshly scented seat. The removable covers should be hanged somewhere to dry separately.
For non-detachable covers, it’s okay to keep the entire seta under sun to dry evenly. This will need extra time, however. But do give that time if you don’t want to deal with mildew and mold later. To allow a complete drying, you should think about leaving the car seats for a few hours to a whole day.
If there’s any bad smell still sticking with the car, then go for another wash. And if this still doesn’t solve with a double cleanse, you must contact the seat manufacturer to talk about a solution.
Reassembling Everything Back.
As soon as the car set is dry and fresh, you need to reassemble it back to your vehicle. While assembling, you should have a note of the serial in which parts are coming out.
That way, you won’t have any trouble reassembling back to its original place. You can also refer to the manual if thing seems complicated. Make sure you fit the cover nicely and firmly. Straps should be going back in the right order as well.
And with Reassembling You Have a Clean & Fresh Baby Seat to Use Again.
Also Read: Best Baby Carriers For Twins | Top Picks & Review
Keep These Tips in Mind.
Always carry some baby wipes inside your car and clean whenever there’s a mess. Teach your kids to do it themselves if possible.
Disposable vomiting bags are a great thing to keep in your car. This way you’ll avoid odor that takes place in the baby car seat.
Travel-friendly snack containers are a huge blessing to keep the spills and scraps under control. Less mess will be there to ruin the baby’s car seat.
For long rides, buy cleaning kits. These include a towel, tissues, baby wash, and bottled waters. So, you can simply spot clean on-the-go after reaching your intended place.
Conclusion
And this is how to clean baby car seats that I follow and basically depend on. By trying these steps and tips you can start this particular mommy task easily. And after a few cleanings, you’ll have your own method of how things work best for you.
Enjoy This Life of Being the Lovable Parent of Your Beloved Child!