Car seat dirty? Time to clean it before school starts | News

ROCHESTER, Minnesota – As students head back to school, parents whose children are still in car seats may want to have them cleaned.

Local small business Baby Bear Cleanup hosted a car seat cleanup to help families prepare their car seats before day one.

Celeste McDermott, owner of Baby Bear Cleanup, says that with adjustable car seats, children stay in the car seat longer. When children are in the seat longer, families have more to clean.

She says car seats should be cleaned every three months, and if they get too dirty, they can become a safety hazard.

McDermott says, “We're all very concerned about the safety of our children. I mean, safety is the number one goal with car seats, so if we keep the seats safe and clean, they'll last longer. If we don't clean the seats between uses and everything else, unfortunately we can compromise the safety of the seat.”

Her company helps families who have trouble cleaning car seats. For McDermott, she figured out the best way to clean car seats according to the manufacturer's recommendations.

Another part of cleaning car seats is getting into the crevices of the seat. She says many of her customers have been shocked at how different their car seats looked after cleaning.

McDermott says, “They love it. It's kind of a mix of 'Oh, I didn't know it was that bad' until you take a before and after picture and you're like, 'Oh, it was done, it was time.' And sometimes it's not as obvious as others, especially when you take the cover off. You see the cover all the time, but underneath it's really what a lot of people don't like to clean themselves.”

She plans to hold another car seat cleaning event the first week of September. If you need help cleaning a car seat, car detailing, or assistance, you can schedule an appointment on her website.