While throwing the car seat cover and the straps in the washer and dryer seems like a convenient and sensible way to go about cleaning a dirty car safety seat, this is usually not the recommended method.
Car seats are made of many different materials by many different manufacturers. No two models are exactly alike. For this reason, it’s important to understand that some materials, cleaning methods and chemicals don’t mix, and could make the seat less safe in the event of a crash.
Most often, car seat manufacturers recommend spot cleaning the covers and straps on car safety seats, but every seat is different. Before you start cleaning a seat, it is important to find and read the safe cleaning procedures for that particular design.
So where can I learn how to clean my car seat?
The best place to start is looking in the owner’s manual for the car seat(s) that you own. You should be able to find this information in the manual that came with the seat, or by finding the manual online directly on the manufacturer’s website.
Here is a list of several popular brands with links to where you can find cleaning information:
You can also call the manufacturer for advice. DO NOT use information on third party sites or youtube for how-to-clean information. Methods or advice from anywhere other than directly from the manufacturer is often full of errors that could result in accidental damage to your seat.
If you truly don’t have time to research, spot cleaning is the safest option. To “spot clean” a seat, you will need soapy water and a clean sponge or towel. Get the dirty areas wet with soapy water and use the sponge/towel to work the soap into the materials. Rinse with clean water and let it sit out to dry.
Putting the seat back together
One of the reasons that car seat manufacturers typically recommend spot cleaning is that it can be difficult to put the seat back together properly.
Putting a car seat back together incorrectly can result in the dangerous possibility that the car seat won’t perform properly in a crash. If you do need to take your seat apart for cleaning per the manufacturer’s instructions, one thing you can do is take pictures or videos of the seat before you take it apart. This is especially important at any area where the straps pass through and the upholstery is secured to the seat, as well as shots of the whole seat from above, below, and the front and back. This will give you a reference point of how you’re doing as you put the seat back together.
If you’re still unsure how you’ve done, or have other questions, you can always contact the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center at 513-803-7433, or the manufacturer of your particular seat.
