Is your child car seat very dirty?
This is normal, especially after the holidays!
And yes, long car journeys are not forgiving...
So this week I rolled up my sleeves and decided to clean my daughter's car seat.
Don't worry, it's not that complicated! It just takes a little time and being organized.
By following this easy tutorial, your child car seat will be flawless in no time . Watch:
- a good vacuum cleaner, with a brush for hard-to-reach places
- a hard bristle brush
- washing up liquid
- a toothbrush
- baking soda
- an adhesive lint roller
- a steam cleaner
- a thick fabric cloth
First remove the car seat from the car. With the vacuum cleaner, remove crumbs and dirt, using the appropriate brush in the recesses.
Disassemble the seat by removing the straps, buckles and fabric cover. Take note of the order in which you disassemble each part, as you will have to reassemble everything at the end of the cleaning.
To make your life easier, do not hesitate to take pictures as you disassemble each piece.
Depending on the car seat model, you may not be able to remove all of the fabric coverings. If so, remove all removable parts of the fabric coverings.
Do not attempt to remove the fasteners or other anchors securing the seat to your car. If they are dirty, clean them with the toothbrush and soapy water.
When you take the seat apart, you're going to discover crumbs hidden in unimaginable nooks and crannies. Use the stiff bristle brush to clean these messes, then throw them away.
To remove hair or pet hair, use an adhesive lint roller .
Our youngest has super fine hair. Suddenly, the pillow and the headrest of his car seat had so much hair that it looked like a cat basket. The Adhesive Lint Roller quickly removes the bulk of that hair and prepares the surface for the next steps.
Fill a bucket with hot soapy water, then put the seat buckles inside.
Let them soak while you move on to the next step. Similarly, soak the toothbrush in soapy water to prepare it for the next step.
With the toothbrush dipped in the soapy water, gently brush a small area of the fabric cover. Clean the entire surface of the cover, small area by small area .
The idea is not to soak the fabric, but rather to clean the surface. Thus, the fabric will dry very quickly .
When cleaning the car seat cover, take care to brush the seams well and the piping (the fabric border on the seams). Indeed, it is in these areas that most of the crumbs and dirt hide!
Remove the curls from the soapy water. Use the toothbrush to clean them thoroughly, then rinse them well with clean water.
Clean the straps with soapy water and a toothbrush, then hang them to dry on a dish drainer.
For the plastic base of the car seat, use the hard bristle brush to remove the biggest crumbs and visible dirt.
To remove stubborn dirt, put a cloth on the widest nozzle of your steam cleaner. Then, steam clean on the plastic base. Finally, wipe the surface with a clean, thick cloth.
Run the steam cleaner over the fabric cover. If the car seat repels unpleasant odors, it is normal, because accidents (small and large commissions) are frequent in the car!
If so, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric of the cover BEFORE you steam clean it.
Try putting the fabric cover back on the seat before steam cleaning it. This way it is even easier to clean.
At this point, all components of your child's car seat are NICKEL CHROME. Now it's time to reassemble all the seat parts!
I advise you to start with the fabric cover . To put it back in place, the trick is to use the bristleless side of your toothbrush. This way you can easily push the fabric into hard to reach places.
Then, mount the big clip in which the loops are fixed. And don't forget to give it a good tug to make sure it's in place.
Then it's time for the straps and harness . This step is different depending on the model of your car seat. To reassemble them, use the photos you took during disassembly.
There you go, you have thoroughly cleaned your child's car seat :-)
No more super dirty car seat, in which you do not even want to sit your child!
Now that the car seat is as clean as ever, all you have to do is put it back in place, taking care to fasten it securely .
I advise you to clean your child seats about 4 times a year.
You will see, this task requires some time and patience in the beginning. But once you know how the "puzzle" fits together, it's easy and quick cleanup. !
Precautions: this guide makes it easy to clean infant car seats. However, for safety reasons, refer to the user manual before detaching any part of the seat.
Have you tried this grandma's trick to clean a car seat? Let us know in the comments if it worked for you. We can't wait to read you!
