How do you freely enjoy your ride without constantly peeking at the mirror to check that your baby doesn’t spill (his avocado juice, for example) on the new car seat? Thank goodness for the ones with cup holders and cheers to sippy cups, of course. But most importantly, let’s talk about maintaining car seat boosters with easy-to-wash fabrics. Babies are messy creatures, and keeping up with their messes is crucial for the longevity and safety of your car seat boosters. Here’s how to do it effectively.

Essential Tips for Maintaining Car Seat Boosters: Maintenance and Care

There are different types of car seat boosters with varying factors that determine how you will maintain them. Our focus is on thoughtful features that make maintenance and care both easy and convenient to help protect this type of long term investment. We’ve listed best practices in choosing your car seat and cleaning different areas that include the seat covers, plastic shells, as well as the harness straps and buckle. Get ready to note them down for long term application in ensuring maximum comfort and protection for your child.

Tips and Tricks

Maintaining car seat boosters the proper way ensures longer use and this can be easy to achieve if you:-

Pick those that have an easily removable cover
Choose one with an easy-to-clean fabric such as the Chicco GoFit, which has a ClearTex fabric.
The option of a machine-washable cover for convenience is available with a car seat such as the Graco TurboBooster 2.0
You also want to check that they have cupholders that can slide off the seat for easy washing.
Avoid using harsh chemicals that will damage the upholstery over time or harm your baby’s skin as he or she gets into contact with the seat.
Use natural stain removal solutions made with vinegar and baking soda instead.
Avoid drenching the car seat with a hose for quick cleaning. This will cause rusting along the car seat’s underside and ultimately lessen the car seat’s safety effectiveness in case of a crash.
Avoid soaking the harness straps in water. If you do, it will loosen the threads and render the harness ineffective in its use.

Cleaning Steps

Now let’s get into what you need to do when cleaning your car seat. First thing, always refer to the instruction manual of your car seat booster for best cleaning practices. You can remove the car seat and vacuum clean it as a daily practice. Otherwise, concentrate on deep cleaning each section of your car seat boosters as follows.

Car seat covers

Remove the car seat cover form the shell as instructed by the manual
Use cold water and mild soap to wash whether your fabric is machine washable or requires hand washing (most car seats today have machine washable fabrics).
Use the drip drying or air drying method to avoid shrinkage. You can even choose to place it on a flat surface in the sun.
Use a toothbrush and mild soap to remove oily or greasy stains, then wipe the solution with a clean cloth. This will protect the car seat fabric from wearing out too fast.
Spray some vinegar or sprinkle baking soda on any stubborn stains rather than using bleach and any other strong and harsh substances.

Car Seat Frame

Disassemble the harness straps and crotch buckles, as instructed on the manual
Use warm water and a soft cloth to gently scrub any dirt from the seat frame. As you do, always ensure that you protect the instructions labels.
Use a sharp object to scrape off any remaining dirt in those small and hidden spaces.
Leave your car seat frame to dry completely before reinstalling it.

Harness Straps and Buckle

Remove the buckle of the harness from its restraint.
Run some water through or soak the buckle mouth (only) to remove any sluggish dirt that prevents the buckle from giving out a click when buckled.
Spot clean the straps with a damp cloth or sponge. Do not submerge in water as stated before.

Recommendations

These are general and basic cleaning tips and procedures crucial for maintaining car seat boosters. We recommend that you thoroughly follow your manual instructions and list down the steps for future references. Adhering to the right steps in maintaining your car seat boosters will eventually turn into a cleaning habit that not only keeps them clean but also protects and extends their lifespan.