How to clean a child’s car seat

For busy families, a good child’s car seat is essential, it keeps your tot safe on the go and provides a calming spot for napping (and sometimes snacking too). When you use it all the time, it’s bound to get a little grubby.

Poo or wee, crisp crumbs or squash stains…whatever the mess is, follow our tips and tricks for the best way to clean a child’s car seat.

How to clean a child’s car seat

1. Gather supplies

Before you start cleaning, get everything together. You’ll need:

• A non-toxic cleaner like Bio one™
• Protective gloves (especially if you’re dealing with poo or wee)
• Hoover and/or a brush
• A clean cloth

2. Take the seat out of the car

Pop the seat onto a table or hard surface, at hip height, so you can clean it easily without reaching over or straining. Crumbs and mess often fall into cracks and seams so you want to be able to tackle every area with ease.

3. Remove solid matter

Pop on your gloves and pick up, brush off or hoover away any bits of mess. Make sure you get into every crevice as any left-over debris will create a nasty pong over time.

4. Wipe the straps

It’s not just the fabric and cushioned surfaces of the car seat that need attention. Straps are a breeding ground for bacteria too. Simply spray a cloth with Bio one™ and wipe them down to remove 99% of bacteria.

5. Tackle the stains

Spray any dirty or stinky areas with Bio one™. Make sure the surfaces are completely damp, as that’s when the product works its magic. Leave the seat for five to ten minutes so the formula can fully soak in. Once the smells and stains have lifted, dab away excess product with a clean cloth and leave it to dry.

How do you dry car seats?

Air dry

If you have the time, the best and safest way to dry your little one’s car seat is by leaving it in the fresh air. Take the seat outside and pop it somewhere safe and dry. Make sure to choose a sunny spot that’s not blocked by shade.

Towels

A simple way to dry off the car seat is with clean, household towels. Fabric is a better option than paper, which can’t take as much liquid and breaks off easily. Drape over the towels, positioning them into every nook and cranny, to soak up moisture. Once wet, ring them out and repeat or use a fresh towel until dry. You can also gently dab all over to increase the absorption.

What is safe to clean car seats?

Any product you use to clean your infant’s car seat should be child-friendly and non-toxic. A detergent, like Bio one™, which contains natural, plant-based and organic ingredients will be the safest option. With that in mind, we’re creating some new products specifically designed for these kinds of spillages. The range is coming soon, so sign up to our newsletter for updates.

How often should you wash your child’s car seat?

Whenever your tot’s car seat gets grubby, follow the above steps to give it a total refresh. It’s also a good idea to clean it regularly to make sure it’s hygienic and germ-free. How often depends on how much you use it, but every few months is a good guide.

What not to use to clean car seats:

Harsh chemicals

Strong chemicals may break down the car seat’s materials. Not only will this look unsightly, but the residue can also irritate your child’s skin. Plus many cleaning products that contain chemicals also contain endocrine disruptors which can affect our health and our hormones. Worse still, it could impact the safety of the seat. Bio one™ is 100% chemical and toxin free, and endocrine disruptor free.

Toxic substances

When cleaning items that your little one encounters, it’s important to use mild cleaners that are 100% safe for kids. Avoid any standard household cleaning items. Look out for a long chemical ingredients list which may include corrosive or toxic substances.

Overly fragranced products

Some highly perfumed products contain chemicals that are harmful to humans. These airborne fragrances can irritate the body and even cause asthma. Kids also absorb chemicals from their skin and into their bloodstream faster than adults so it’s super important to avoid any harsh and overly fragranced cleaning products around them.

Boiling water

Very hot or boiling water could further damage the car seat fabric. Bio one™ works with cold water, so not only is it safe to use on fabrics or also is better for the environment.

What are enzymes?

Don’t be fooled to think that because enzymes are natural they are less effective than chemical cleaners. Enzymes are nature’s very own powerful cleaning tools. Making them the go to choice for parents who do not want to spray harmful chemicals around their children and their home.

Simply put, enzymes are all around us performing millions of important tasks in our bodies and in nature every single day. They are a type of protein that act like a biological catalyst to speed up the break down of organic compounds.

Similarly to how saliva, (which contains enzymes), initiates the digestion process by breaking down food in our mouths, cleaning enzymes use the same ‘enzymatic digestion’ to effectively break down and eradicate the organic proteins present in urine, faeces, vomit, drool, dirt, food, and more.

This process not only makes cleaning easier but also prevents the growth of bad bacteria – the root cause of those unpleasant odours – in the air, on surfaces, and within the fibres of your soft furnishings.

Try out Bio one™baby and toddler surface cleaner today, vomit and the other nasties is what nature created enzymes for.