How to clean your child's car seat or stroller
As much as we love them, there’s no denying that kids can be a bit messy from time-to-time – especially the very little ones! Child car seats and strollers or pushchairs can be a particular magnet for spillages, stains and little accidents, so you’ll need to have your cleaning products at the ready.
But where to start? Well, in this article we break down the steps you can follow to get your child seat and stroller clean and ready to head out on their next journey.
Car seat
The majority of car seats are made from fabric as it provides the perfect mix of comfort and durability, so that’s what we’ll be focusing on here.
How to clean your child’s car seat without removing the padding
If your child’s car seat doesn’t have a cover that you can unzip and remove, then here are the steps to follow:
- Step 1: Remove the seat from your car. It’ll make it much easier to clean and means you don’t run the risk of damaging your car’s interior. Also, remember to remove any toys that might be attached to the seat to keep them safe too.
- Step 2: Vacuum the seat thoroughly to remove any larger crumbs. While you can use a normal vacuum cleaner for this, a dedicated car vacuum like the Karcher WD 3 Car Vac comes with some handy nozzles and brushes that are designed to get into the smallest of crevices and corners.
- Step 3: Clean the seat with a mild cleaning spray or detergent. Make sure whichever spray or detergent you choose is safe to use around children and apply it all over the seat, focusing on the stains.
- Step 4: Use a cloth or soft bristle brush to scrub the seat. A cloth will probably be sufficient for most areas, but a bristle brush might be required for particularly stubborn stains.
- Step 5: Wipe off any excess moisture and leave the seat to dry. It’s important to ensure your seat is completely dry before reinstalling it to avoid damaging your car’s interior.
- Step 6: Return the seat to your car. Make sure that you reinstall it correctly – your car seat’s manual should provide step-by-step instructions.
How to clean your child’s car seat by removing the padding
Where your car seat has a removable cover, here are the steps to follow:
- Step 1: Remove the seat from your car. You’ll need to be able to access the zip or fastening in order to remove the cover later. Also, remember to remove any toys that might be attached to the seat to keep them safe too.
- Step 2: Vacuum the seat thoroughly to remove any larger crumbs. While you can use a normal vacuum cleaner for this, a dedicated car vacuum like the Karcher WD 3 Car Vac comes with some handy nozzles and brushes that are designed to get into the smallest of crevices and corners.
- Step 3: Use a damp cloth to remove any wet spillages. This will prevent larger pieces of grime from disrupting the cleaning process later on.
- Step 4: Remove your car seat cover. If you’re not sure how to do this, you should be able to find the instructions in your car seat’s manual.
- Step 5: Check the cleaning instructions. Again, your car seat manual should tell you what the recommended cleaning instructions are for your particular car seat.
- Step 6: Machine wash your cover (if possible). If that’s not possible or recommended, then you can use a damp sponge or cloth to clean it.
- Step 7: Let the cover completely dry before reattaching it to your seat. Trying to reattach a damp cover will make the process much trickier and could cause damage.
- Step 8: Return the seat to your car. Make sure that you reinstall it correctly – your car seat’s manual should provide step-by-step instructions.
How to remove stains from your car seat
Sometimes, you might just spot a couple of stains on your car seat that you want to clean or need to clear up a mess that’s just happened. While you can use a car seat stain remover, it’s really important to make sure you use a gentle one that won’t irritate your child’s skin. Check the ingredients for any harsh chemicals before use.
How to clean your car seat straps
It’s not just the car seat itself that can get into a mess – car seat straps are particularly vulnerable. Thankfully, the fixed part of the harness is easy to clean with a soft cloth or sponge, along with some water and detergent.
Stroller
Just like with car seats, spillages and food-related messes are an inevitable part of putting a child in a stroller. Here’s how you can ensure your stroller is clean the next time you come to use it.
How to clean your stroller’s fabric
Starting with the fabric part of the stroller, these are the steps we’d recommend:
- Step 1: Remove any canopies or padded sections. Depending on the design of your stroller, you may be able to do this by hand or you may need to use a screwdriver.
- Step 2: Use your hand or a soft bristle brush to clear any larger pieces of debris or food that might have collected in the seat. Keep an eye out for crumbs, twigs, dried leaves and pieces of food.
- Step 3: Vacuum the seat thoroughly to remove smaller pieces of debris, dirt and food. As with the car seat, using a dedicated car vacuum like the Karcher WD 3 Car Vac can make this job a little easier. Make sure you get into every nook and cranny, particularly where the back of the stroller meets the seat.
- Step 4A: Machine wash the canopy and seat, if possible. Always check your stroller’s manual before doing this to make sure your canopy and seat can go in the washing machine, and use a gentle cycle.
- Step 4B: If you can’t detach your seat and canopy, hand-wash them with soap and water. Use a cloth or towel to clean and make sure your chosen soap or detergent is child-friendly.
- Step 5: Clean the handlebar. Again, you should use a cloth or towel and child-friendly soap.
- Step 6: Rinse the seat and canopy. You can either use a garden hose or a bucket of water for this. Just make sure you remove all of soap residue.
- Step 7: Use a soft bristle brush to remove any stains or mould. For stains, wet the spot first and use a gentle and non-toxic stain removing spray. For mould, scrub the area with soap and water before rinsing.
- Step 8: Leave the fabric to dry. Wipe away excess water with a towel and hang any loose pieces of fabric up to dry.
How to clean your stroller’s frame
Moving on to your stroller’s frame and here are the steps we’d recommend:
- Step 1: Disassemble the frame. Start by removing the seat or bassinet and then any accessories like food trays and cup holders. It’ll be much easier to clean these when they’re separated from the frame.
- Step 2: Clear any crumbs and debris. Make sure you use a gentle and non-toxic cleaning spray, and that you can check any nooks and crannies.
- Step 3: Wipe the frame, surfaces and any detached parts. Use a cloth or towel and warm water. Again, make sure your spray is gentle and non-toxic so that it won’t irritate your child’s skin.
- Step 4: Clean the brakes. Remove any dirt or debris that might be stuck and could be preventing them from working properly.
- Step 5: Remove your wheels and clean them. We’d recommend using gentle disinfectant for this and a small bristle brush to get rid of any ingrained dirt.
- Step 6: Leave all of the parts to dry. As with the fabric, wipe away excess water with a towel.
- Step 7: Reassemble your stroller.