Brown's Sterling Nissan

Dirty Car Seats Can Make Everyone Sick

You wipe them down right after a messy meal in the car, but does that really make your kid's car seat truly clean? Due to studies performed by a team of doctors, biologists and health experts, a dirty children's car seat is a hazard for your children, pets and other adults traveling in your car. It’s a problem in any scenario, but really a more serious during the summer when high temperatures cause bacteria and germs to spread.

At Brown's Sterling Nissan, we realize that dirty car seats can be a genuine safety hazard, so we're pleased to be sharing this valuable information with our customers in Sterling, VA with children. By anticipating an issue and getting out in front of it, parents can prevent health problems before they arise. In too many cases, they don't react quickly enough and by the time their kids are sick and out of school--it's a little too late.

So, now that we've determined that the gradual buildup of dirt, debris and grime can be very unsafe for children traveling in car seats. It can prevent the car seat from performing correctly and some manufacturers of car seats strongly recommend that an extremely thorough cleaning of the both the cover and the buckle will go a long way. If you can regularly check the car seat for filth and dried-on food, for example, you will be able to prevent it from being a huge cleanup project down the road.

By cleaning the car seat, it will enable you to keep the car seat working correctly, which will assist you to keep your child safe and sound.

According to cleaning experts, the right way to clean a car seat is to do the following:

• Remove the cover entirely then hand wash it and let it dry on a line, if at all possible.
• Please never use soap or cleaner on the car seat's buckle.
• Always use hot water and a high-performance special cloth, such as a children's stroller or car seat cloth to completely clean the car seat.
• Always make sure that you rinse off everything completely when you're done the cleaning, because otherwise your children may chew on the car seat (it happens).

In summary, a little cleaning goes a long way when it comes keeping your kid's car seat dirt-free and neat and void of germs and grime. It's for your children's safety and that's why it's an important part of being a good parent.

Sources: Parent Magazine, AAA and YouTube