We’ve all been there, 2 hours into a 5-hour car journey and your little one decides now is the perfect time for a nappy explosion! Mid-journey, there is time for a quick wipe-down, but once you are in suitable place, a thorough car seat clean is needed, and here’s how:
Instructions:
- Choose a time when you won’t be needing the car seat again for a while, to allow washed fabric to dry.
- Detach the car seat and place on a towel or blanket on the floor.
- To remove the extra debris, such as raisins and rice cake dust, vacuum the entire car seat, making sure you get into all the hidden nooks and crannies, where food loves to linger.
- Most car seats have detachable seat covers, so remove this. Depending on the manufacturers cleaning instructions you can either pop the cover in the washing machine or hand wash in warm water. If you are unable to remove the cover (or time is limited) try tackling the stains with a mild soap and warm water. Leave the cover to dry.
- The plastic section of the car seat can be gently cleaned with soapy water and a sponge.
- The seat buckles can be gently rinsed under running water to remove built up debris, but don’t use soap.
- Once everything is dry, recover the car seat and fix back into the car following the manufacturer’s instructions – hey presto, a squeaky-clean car seat, ready to be covered in yogurt and spit-up all over again!