Kids will do whatever they want when young, we all know that. Their Graco car seat could be their latest place of destruction, and they do not see anything funny or weird when they see you struggling to remove and clean their seats.
Kids will do things no one would want to talk about . They will throw up, spill food or drinks, etc. do you have to worry about that knowing very well that cleaning is and decontaminating kids is not a complicated process.
Removing a Graco seat is challenging for a first timer. This article should guide you on how to go about and probably do some cleaning. We will explain the process using the common Graco seat.
Table of Contents
Preparation
Make sure that all the materials you will need for the entire process are ready. Make sure they include the following:
- Baby wipes
- Small clean rags
- A bottle of mild soap or the one you use for washing dishes at home
- Mild disinfectant (optional)
Warning: Strong detergents and bleaches are not ideal for this kind of work. Bleaching agents loosen the fiber used in the seat making them weaker thus tearing faster
Do not use a rough sponge for scrubbing off stubborn stains. Use of abrasive substances damages the delicate fabric.
Before removing/cleaning the seat, make sure you know:
How to Remove and Re-assemble the Graco Seat Cover, Follow the Steps
Remove the Graco Seat from the Base
- Behind the car seat, squeeze the base and release the handle. Then release the car off its base
- Attach the Graco Seat Back to its Base
- You need to align the locking bar at the front of the car seat making sure that the locks are in the base.
- Set the seat at the base and push down the front car seat until you hear a click, which signals that the seat is locked.
- Test if the seat is locked by pulling up the front section and see if it moves.
Reclining the Graco Seat Base
- The Graco seat has four recline positions. You need to squeeze the base recliner lever and lift it to extend the foot.
- Squeeze the base recliner lever and lower it to retract the foot
- Use the level indicator for correct installation. When the indicator is not below the lines marking the child’s age, you need to use a rolled towel under the foot until the indicator goes under the lines.
I will take it that you have already taken the seat off and ready to start the cleaning process.
Let Us Remove the Visible Stains
Wipe all visible stains and chunks left on the seat using baby wipes or damp paper towels.
Do the same for all other parts of the seat such as the buckles and fabric covers. Avoid scrubbing the debris if you can pick them using wipes
Cleaning Parts of the Graco Seats
You need to clean the following parts:
- Seat cover
- Seat body
- The seat base
- Harness Straps
- The buckle and its straps
Brush off dirt and crumbs from the seat by gently shaking the seat to remove crumbs hidden on both sides of the seat.
You can use a small vacuum cleaner to remove stubborn dirt from the seat
Take the seat cover and take it for machine wash in cold water. Use the gentle cycle setting on the washing machine.
After rinsing the seat cover, let it dry. There is no danger in handwashing the cover if the situation does not allow
Use a damp towel and wipe the seat clean, later on, wipe dry using a clean towel
The seat base, the harness straps, and the buckle need gentle scrubbing except for the buckles, which if they thoroughly stained will need warm water to get rid of stains.
When the seat and components are dry –reassemble the seat as already explained.
Final Word
To avoid injuries and infection coming from Graco car seat, make sure the seat like yours is clean. Children are naturally messy, and we need to prepare them to a clean world by maintaining their seats by making them clean.
By following, the steps you will not only be able to remove but to clean and re-assemble your child’s car seat. Always look out where you choose to place the dismantled parts to avoid losing some of them.