A new study has revealed the horrifying amount of harmful bacteria on children's car seats.
Car rental firm Leasing Options tested a selection of cars for common bacteria including Coli, Clostridium p., Pseudomonas a., Staphylococcus a., Salmonella, Bacillus c. Faecal Streptococci, and Enterococci.
Car owners were told not to clean their cars for two weeks before testing.
The company swabbed the various parts of the interiors of the cars, and sent the swabs to a lab for analysis, to see what germs lie hidden from our eyes.
The results show the amount of bacteria found on each part of the car in relation to the Limit of Detection (LOD), which is the limit below which the concentration of a particular contaminant is so low that it cannot be detected.
In occupational hygiene the LOD is typically set 100-1000 times below the concentration at which the particular contaminant is considered hazardous.
The steering wheels, hand brakes, gear sticks and centre consoles/radios of the cars that were swabbed all registered at between 10-20 LOD for bacteria.
However, the child's car seat registered a massive 3,000 LOD.
The main bacteria found on the child's car seat was Faecal Streptococci – that's poo particles to you and me.
Faecal Streptococci can cause bacterial pneumonia, ear infections and bacterial meningitis.
"When I found out the results of my car I was shocked and horrified," one of the car owners, Alex R, a father of two, told Mirror Online.
"The fact that my child’s seat had such a high bacteria count compared to the steering wheel and the rest of the car, just shows how important it is to regularly wash your child’s seat.
"I do give the seat a wipe now and then but it’s normally because he’s dropped something or been muddy etc but now I’ll be giving it a thorough deep clean regularly.
"I always tend to focus on the outside first of all and then, on the inside, hover the carpets and give the dashboard a quick dusting. Now my child’s seat will always be the first port of call."
The study revealed that almost half of parents (44%) clean their child car seat less than once every six months.
One in ten parents admit to only cleaning the car seat once per year, and 1 in fifteen (16%) say they never wash the child car seat.
Interestingly, it's younger parents that are most fastidious when it comes to cleaning.
A full third of 18-24-year-old parents cleaned the child car seat once a week – significantly more than the one in five in the 25-44 age group.
How to clean a car seat in 6 easy steps
In order to keep your child away from harmful viruses caused by a build-up of bacteria, it is vital to make sure you keep your child's seat clean.
Leasing Options has shared six quick steps for making sure your child's seat is cleaned properly:
1. Remove the Seat
The first step is to remove the seat from the car. This is to ensure you can get into every nook and cranny, thus ensuring the best clean possible, which may not be doable if the seat remains in the car.
If this is the first time removing the seat since installation and you are unsure how to reinstall, it’s always good to take pictures over each stage of the uninstalling process, so you can refer to these when reinstalling.
2. Wipe and Vacuum Seat
Begin by removing as much grime as possible with anti-bacterial wipes and a vacuum cleaner. This will make the rest of the cleaning process easier.
3. Remove the Cover
Most child seats have removable fabric covers. Once removed these can usually be thrown into the washing machine for a thorough cleanse. Cotton covers are best washed at 60 degrees centigrade. 40 is preferred for synthetics.
4. Clean the Seat’s Base
Using a mild detergent and a damp cloth or sponge, rub away all dirt and grime from the seat’s base then rinse well with water. Make sure when rinsing to alter the angle and direction of the seat so that none of the water collects.
5. Clean Buckles and Straps
Straps should not be put in the washing machine as it can degrade their strength, causing potential safety hazards. Instead, these should be cleaned using a soft cloth, warm water and a gentle soap.
As for buckles, these are best treated by being dunked into warm water and then moved around to dislodge any dirt. Use a soft cloth for additional cleaning, if necessary.
6. Dry, Reassemble and Refit into Car Securely
Once thoroughly cleaned it’s time to reinstall the seat back into the car. Refer to the pictures taken when you dismantled the chair to see how to properly reinstall if you find yourself in any bother.
Once reinstalled you can have peace of mind that your child is now free from any harmful bacteria on their next road trip.
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