We are expecting our 2nd child in September. We kept my daughter's infant car seat BUT my husband put it in our musty basement for a year. Our house is over 100 years old. The basement is unfinished -- musty and damp. There weren't any floods down there during the year the car seat was there, but the seat wasn't even put in a plastic bag or anything. It wss just left out on the floor. I am very hesitant to use the seat for our new baby. My husband thinks I'm over=reacting. It appears fine, but I'm concerned it may have mold or spores or something in it that isn't visible from the outside. What do you moms think? Would you use it? Can you think of any way to thoroughly clean it? Some kind of deep steam cleaning? It's a nice car seat, a Peg Perego that we really liked, and it's good in every other way (not past manufacturer's expiration date, never in a crash, etc.). But, of course, it's not worth risking my baby's health.
If the cover removes, and I don't know any car seat that it doesn't, just take it off, wash it with tea tree oil and vinegar. One is a disinfectant and the other removes musty and moldy odors.
You could also do it with a hose and laundry soap, but it would take some scrubbing and lots of rinsing if you leave it together to do, but you don't have to put it back together that way.
I would go to your local hardware store and pick up a mold test for about $10-15. They take a couple of hours to expose and have several different mold tests to try out in the one kit. Within four days you'll be able to tell if there's mold there and you can also for an additional $30 send the sample in (if there's mold) to have it analyzed as benign or dangerous. Good Luck!
Knowing the price and quality of these kind of car seats, I would certainly try to use it. I live in a almost 100 year old house too, so I know what you mean. If you can wash the cover and scrub the hard pieces, I would think that would be plenty. If you can't smell mustiness, I totally wouldn't worry about it.
Beyond washing it etc, you could also write a letter to the company who manufactures it, and explain your predicament. Perhaps they would be willing to replace the entire seat, or at least the cover, at no cost to you. Or they might be willing to give you a good discount on a new one. Or they might at least offer you some good tips on cleaning it. Just make sure to sing praises about the seat how much you love it etc, how disappointed you are that you might have ruined it.
I live in the same type of house. TOSS IT. Not worth the potential trouble.
I'd wash the cover in HOT water and a good laundry soap like Tide or Dreft, then let the cover air dry on a hot hot summer day outside and also put the carseat outside on a hot day to air out.
Put the carseat back together and put back in the house for a week or so and see if you can smell any musty smells at all. If not I'd use it.
Your other option is to purchase a new cover from PegPerego off their website prehaps.
I wouldn't toss the seat out though. It wasn't like the basement flooded it's just got that basement smell to it.
I would definately try and use it again after a good cleaning.
My FIL owns a Chemdry cleaning company that does everything from upholstery to carpets etc. He has always told us nothing takes out the smell of must or smoke better than the sun. We have bought a few pieces of furniture over the years that smell as though someone had stored them in a wet basement or garage. After 12 hours outside in sunshine they are so much better. I second the opinion to wash the fabric and air dry outside. Probably wouldn't hurt the rest of the carseat to see a little fresh air either.
Hi L.,
If it were me. I would not take the chance. I am so allergic to mold, I can't imagine what it would do to an infant if they were exposed.
I think your last sentence says it all "But, of course, it's not worth risking my baby's health"
Go with your gut!
I agree with Beth H's advice. Wash the cover and hang in the sun to dry. DO NOT WASH THE HARNESS! Submerging the harness in water will deteriorate teh fibers making them weak, so only hand wash those with a damp cloth.
Remove the cover and wash it, hang to dry, take some Clorox wipes to the plastic pieces and shell, rinse out the buckles with hot water and soap, hand wipe the harness, then set it all out in the sun for a few hours. If its still musty smelling after that, then maybe order a new cover from Peg Perego.
how long has it been in storage?
i would also be hesitant. if it is in really nice shape, and it isnt broken, missing pieces, dingy or faded too bad or if it isnt over 7 years old you could try repeat bleach in your laundry and wash it on HOT. or vinegar if you want. ive found that if i put just a couple capfuls of bleach in a cup of water it doesnt seem to affect colors too much.
either way, i would absolutly be worried about mold and other junk on and in the car seat and etc. you can throw the fabric away and recycle the rest of the car seat (ive heard that there is recycling for them!)
check with your insurance company and see if they offer free infant seats, some do.
I personally could never mess around with mold and a child. If you smell mold or musty you have mold and or spores on that car seat. Mold can trigger all sorts of health problems especially in an infant. I would toss the seat out. I've never seen a product that is good at killing mold and all it's spores. Not even bleach does completely. It just wouldn't be worth it to potentially make my child very sick.
Mold is so potentially bad, even to adults, that because my mom had a little problem with her roof leaking into the attic the insurance company is PAYING to take every single wall in the entire house out, down to the studs, replace all the drywall and insulation. It is going to cost them half of what the house is worth. Plus they are paying to put her up in a extended stay hotel till it is all done. That is how bad mold can be. So if an insurance company is so concerned about a little mold in an attic that they are willing to dish out that much money I think blunking down 300 for a new car seat is well worth it.
I vote for a new car seat. You will be so upset with yourself if your baby has trouble because of it. It is a shame to waste the money, but your baby is worth it.
I think the fact that you can't see any mildew or mold on it is encouraging, and I see no reason why with a thorough washing and airing out it wouldn't be good to use. The plastic won't grow mold and the other parts are washable. There are differences in types of molds and not all are the really bad kind. The test kit idea is intriguing if you want some extra piece of mind. Lots of other good advice on different methods for getting it clean, so I won't repeat what's been said. We live in an old house too and have a musty storage room and garage. I just give things a thorough cleaning and/or put them out in the sun and haven't had any problems.
