How To Clean a Carseat
It's sick season, so today I am going to teach you the very BEST way to make sure your kids' car seats are clean and germ-free.
Step One: Pick up your car seat manual.
Step Two: Locate the section in the manual that discusses cleaning and care.
Step Three: Follow the instructions carefully, doing ONLY what is permitted by the manual.
And that's it!
It may sound a little silly, but many parents and caregivers don't know that there are actually very strict rules surrounding cleaning car seats, and for a very good reason: car seats are lifesaving devices that have been meticulously designed, engineered, and tested to do their job. Doing anything to them that is not allowed by the manufacturer puts you at risk of compromising the safety of the seat - and you don't want that!
Social media is currently full of "hacks" and "tips" for cleaning car seats, and they range from not recommended to downright ridiculous. Unfortunately, the influencers creating these posts are almost never properly educated on child passenger safety and are unknowingly leading parents and caregivers to some incredibly unsafe practices.
While every car seat has different care and cleaning instructions, did you know that the following things are generally considered to be unsafe for the majority of car seats?
- Spraying them with Lysol or other disinfectants
- Hosing them down
- Submerging them in water
- Wiping them with disinfectant wipes
- Using bleach on them
So what can you do? (Because let's face it...kids can be gross. Car seats get nasty! And germs are everywhere!)
Once again, I want to emphasize that cleaning and care instructions are going to be specific to the manufacturer and specific model of car seat that you own. That means that if you have three car seats in your car, you have three different sets of cleaning instructions to follow.
Well, that's a hassle, you might be thinking. And you may be right. But I always like to remind myself, is this a hassle that is worth my child's life? Absolutely!
Our office keeps a fleet of car seats for our staff to use to transport children. Let's take a look at the instructions for some of the seats that we own to give you an idea of that they might look like, and how to find them in your manual. (Pro tip: if you lost your manual, you can easily grab a PDF version from the manufacturer's website.)
Seat #1: Evenflo Embrace (infant carrier)
I located the "Care and Cleaning" section on page 11 of this seat's manual (a screenshot is below).
After reviewing these instructions, I can see that I am allowed to remove the seat pad and machine wash it in cold water, delicate cycle, and tumble dry it for 10-15 minutes on low heat. I am also allowed to wipe down the plastic and metal parts with mild soap and water and dry them with a soft cloth - but NOT to use any abrasive cleaners or solvents. Finally, I can wipe the harness with mild soap and water and allow it to air dry.
Seat #2: Evenflo Sonus 65 (convertible rear and forward facing car seat)
I found the "Care and Cleaning" section of this seat's manual on page 59 (see screenshot below).
Because this seat is made by the same manufacturer, Evenflo, the cleaning instructions are very similar to the first one. However, this one has one extra bullet point to let me know that the cup holder liners are dishwasher safe (top rack only) - which as all parents know, is a huge win!
It is important to remember that while these two seats have similar instructions, that won't always be the case for seats from the same manufacturer, especially when different materials are used. It's always best to check the manual for the specific seat you have.
Seat #3: Graco 4Ever DLX (all-in-one rear facing, forward facing, and booster seat)
This is a more complicated seat with more bells and whistles than the two previous seats, so "Care and Cleaning" occupies a whole section in the manual spanning pages 114-117. A screenshot of the first page is below.
As you can see from the screenshot, this manufacturer, Graco, refers you to the care tag directly on the seat's fabric for the washing instructions. This might be because this seat comes in multiple different types of fabric, which may have differing washing instructions. This manual also gives me detailed instructions for how to remove the various pieces of the seat in order to clean them.
The manual goes on to say several times, in bold and ALL CAPS, not to immerse any of the straps in water. It states, "Doing so may weaken the straps." (Weakened straps does not sound like something you want on your car seat!) It also provides contact information so that you can consult them directly if your straps are heavily soiled or frayed.
This brings up a great point that I will close on: whenever you are in doubt, the best thing to do is contact the manufacturer. If you feel that your mess cannot be adequately cleaned by following the instructions, or if you have previously unknowingly cleaned your seat improperly and want to find out if it's safe to continue using it, you can always call, message, or live chat with the car seat manufacturer and they can advise you on the best course of action. Sometimes certain parts of the seat can be replaced in the event of a particularly yucky mess, and there may be times where they give you approval to clean in a special way. Other times, they may advise you that the seat is beyond saving and needs to be replaced.
I hope you stay healthy this winter, and I hope that your car seats stay not only clean, but also safe. The more you know...the better you can do!
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