How To Clean Baby Car Seats: Elevate Safety And Comfort

From the day your child is born until they grow enough to fit in the adult seat, car seats play an integral part in every parent’s life. 

Since our babies spend a substantial amount of time in the car seat (depending on your lifestyle), it needs to be kept hygienic and well-maintained at all times.

Shockingly, I never thought car seats needed cleaning before I started using them. And even when I got to know it, I didn’t know exactly how to safely clean my car seat without damaging it.

Later, after much reading, watching, and experimentation, I came up with perfect car seat cleaning techniques. To make the parenting journey a little easier for you, here is my guide on how to clean baby car seats. So, let’s start. 

When To Clean Your Baby Car Seat

Although the answer can depend from person to person and their usage, there are some common scenarios that we face in our everyday lives that can lead us to cleaning our baby car seats.

Whether you have one or multiple car seats, cleaning them is an essential part of maintaining baby hygiene. 

Keeping the car seat clean is not only essential to maintain your child’s safety and good health, but it is also crucial to maintain cleanliness to increase the longevity of the car seat. 

Firstly, dirty or not dirty, you should have a regular car seat cleaning routine, which you can make keeping your lifestyle and car seat usage in mind. Whether you decide to do it weekly, monthly, or seasonally, here is how you can do it.

Weekly: Baby Car Seat Cleaning

Although I didn’t follow any weekly cleaning routine for my baby’s car seat, if you regularly go out with your baby, a weekly cleaning may be essential for you, too. 

You can use a vacuum cleaner or simply wipe it down with either a dry or damp cloth to remove dirt, debris, and dust from the car seat. 

Monthly: Baby Car Seat Cleaning

Since we went out once or twice a week in the car, I focused mostly on my monthly cleaning. This was the day I checked for any wear and tear and cleaned the seat as well as the buckles and straps. 

If your car seat has any stains, you can spot-clean it during the monthly cleaning. For most people, it is too soon for a thorough cleaning. However, if you see any spills or dirt, or there happen to be diaper accidents and other bodily fluids, make sure you are cleaning it thoroughly. 

Seasonal: Baby Seat Cleaning

The transition from summer to winter or winter to summer always brings some additional work. Personally, I felt my car seats were getting more dirty during summertime. 

With all the sweat and drink spills, I had to put in more effort to keep my car seat clean. Especially when my babies started to play outside, the dirty shoes always invited cleaning days in advance. 

Similarly, during winter, snow and wet boots can make your car seat wet and dirty. Keep keen eyes on the car seat and clean them regularly if you find any dirt. You can also wipe your damp or wet car seat fabrics with a dry piece of cloth for regular maintenance. 

How to Clean Your Baby’s Car Seat

Before you start the cleaning process, it is important that you understand what type of car seat you are using. Read the instruction manual properly before selecting the right cleaning agents. 

You can talk to the customer care service to get the best recommendation of products. Regardless, always make sure you are choosing a mild cleaner and the ones that are baby-friendly. 

Using harsh chemical-based products or bleach can potentially put your baby’s delicate body at health risk. I used the Dreft Stage 1 Baby Laundry Detergent for cleaning the car seat cover, and I couldn’t be happier with the result. 

Other than a detergent, there are some other supplies you need handy to clean your baby’s car seat. 

• Warm water,
• Brush,
• Clothes or towels,
• Vacuum cleaner,
• Bucket, 
• Disinfectant spray, 
• Baking soda (optional),
• Vinegar (optional). 

Step 1- Start with straps and buckles

1. I have always started cleaning my baby’s car seat by undoing the straps and removing the shoulder pads from the safety harness. This gave me a clean seat to work with without worrying about tangling the straps. 
2. Soak the straps in a mixture of warm water and liquid soap and scrub them clean using a soft brush or a cloth. 
3. Rinse the straps with clean water until the soap runs off. 
4. Drain excess water and, if necessary, pat the wet straps with a dry cloth to remove excess water. 
5. Air-dry them completely, then reassemble. 

Step 2- Clean the Seat Cover

1. Remove the seat cover following the instruction manual and shake off any dry dirt or particles. 
2. You can vacuum the cover using an upholstery attachment before you proceed. 
3. For the next step, you need to be a little careful and clean the car seat cover according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. 
4. If the cover is machine washable, follow the temperature, detergent, and drying guidelines while putting it in the washing. 
5. If not, you can gently hand wash it or can also spot clean it, focusing on the dirtier spots. 
6. For spot cleaning, mix warm water with a mild detergent and soak a clean, soft cloth in it. Wring the cloth nicely and wipe the places you want to clean. 
7. Use another clean cloth, soak it in clean water, and wipe the cleaned area to remove any soap residue. 
8. Regardless of which method you are using, machine wash, hand wash, or spot cleaning, dry the fabric completely either on the dryer or air dry before reassembling it. 

Step 3- Cleaning the Base

1. After you are done cleaning the car seat cover, straps, and buckles, move on to the base of the seat. Check the base thoroughly for any dust, crumbs, or dirt after removing the car seat from the base. 
2. If you find dirt where your hands can’t reach, use a crevice tool of the vacuum cleaner to remove the debris. 
3. Next, clean the base using a damp cloth dipped in soap and warm water mix and clean it with a clean damp towel afterward. 
4. Make sure you dry the base completely before reattaching the car seat. 

Additional Baby Car Seat Cleaning Tips 

In case you find a stubborn stain or odor in the car seat, you need to give extra attention to it. For this particular problem, baking soda comes in great handy.

1. If there is a stain, put baking soda in the particular spot, then pour some white vinegar on top of it. 
2. Wait for a few minutes, scrub it off using a damp brush, then clean it as usual. Avoid using harsh chemicals or bleaches to spot clean. Baking soda and vinegar is much milder and provides effective spot cleaning without any harmful effect. 
3. If you encounter a foul-smelling car seat, baking soda is here to save you as well. Sprinkle baking soda all over the car seat cover and leave it like that overnight. 
4. The soda will absorb all the foul smell, leaving your car seat odor-free. 
5. Vacuum the baking soda off the car seat and clean it as usual. 
6. You can also use a baby-safe disinfectant spray if needed. 

Regular Maintenance for Your Baby Car Seat

Although cleaning the car seat is a must, keeping the car seat regularly inspected and protected can minimize a lot of your work.

Apart from checking it after every use, you can take some measures to elongate your car seat’s longevity and keep it away from stains and germs. 

1. Use a car seat protector as a second layer so that even if there are any mishaps, the protector will keep them away from it.

I used Lusso Gear Car Seat Protector and XHYANG Car Seat Protector for my babies. Both car seat protectors have different price ranges, but honestly, I loved using both. 

2. You can use a car seat cover for the times when the car seat is not in use. I had the Yoofoss car seat cover, and it was of great help, especially when we went out traveling. 

The car seat cover can be used in multiple ways, such as a car seat cover, nursing cover, high chair cover, stroller cover, bassinet cover, a light blanket, etc. 

Final Thoughts

As I am concluding my cleaning guide today, I remember the first time I cleaned my baby’s car seat. Baby accessories come with a heavy price tag, and as a new parent, it is natural to make us anxious if we can do the work properly. 

I hope my little effort to guide you through the process can lift some weight off your shoulders. Remember, you and your baby are one team. Maintaining a hygienic environment for them will keep you both away from a lot of trouble afterward. 

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