I bought a great car seat from someone on Craigs List. I didn't notice that it didn't say smoke free home. When I went to pick it up the stench of smoke in the house was nauseating. I am an ex smoker myself and don't have a low tolerance for the smells. It doesn't really bother but this house was so bad. Needless to say the seat smells too. We can take the cover off for hand washing but I am concerned about the carcinogens. The doc's say the toxins can linger in clothes... will hand washing in detergent take care of the smell and toxins?? any suggestions? I love the seat, she was very organized and clean other than the smoke. If I can make it work I want to but obviously not at risk of my toddlers health!
Take the care seat cover off through it on the wash machine. Than take the plastic car seat and wash down with one tablespoon to a bottle spray of water and spray the seat down and disonfect it. If it still smells? Fabrezze it.
FYI - please check the expiration date on the car seat. Yes every car seat has one. They are only good for about 6 years depending on the manufacture. The plastic can dry, crack, etc and compromise the strength of the seat.
stick in a regular wash with oxyclean or something similar. Then wash it again, and make sure you use some fabric softner (helps with the smell). It might take a couple of days to get it done, but good luck with the smell (I don't know about the carcinogen question you had...sorry)
Hi S.,
I use to work for a company that did fire damage and flood etc. Like Modernistic, Service Master, serv Pro, They have a machine called ozone that gets all smells out, used cars places call them to use them to get smoke out. No harmful stuff left over after they are done. Just call them and see if they will set the seat in one of their ozone rooms for a day or two.. : )
Be careful when buying a used car seat. They are no longer reliable if they have been in a car accident.
Try a bag of charcoal. It works wonders on odors. Lay some newspaper on the seat and leave it there for a few days. It took a fish smell out of a car trunk when they forgot about the fish for many days.
Hi S., Try soaking the cover over night in detergent and oxi-clean, then rinse very well. The seat itself can be scrubed down with a bruch outside or in the tub. I have a toilet bruch that I bought to be used ONLY for such things, the long brisles reach into crevices well and you can buy them at dollar stores. Good luck.
S.,
Try washing the cover in vinegar water and also washing down the plastic part of the carseat with vinegar water. Good luck.
wash the cover.. let the carseat air out outside on sunny day.. preferably on a windy day.. the smell will go away .
