Ugh, straps got washed. What to do now?

[nhlbluesgirl]

My grandparents watch my girls during the day. She mentioned that she wanted to wash the cover that goes over the seat (the cover that goes on top of the seat to keep her warm, not the actual seat cover). Anyway, I didn't think about saying anything to her and she ended up washing everything, including the straps! Of course they just kind of rolled their eyes at me when I said that the straps weren't supposed to be washed. They also think I strap the girls in too tight (sorry that's another rant). Anyway, I was planning on getting DD a MA during the Britax sale. Can it wait until then?

 

[lovinwaves]

How exactly were they washed?

 

[nhlbluesgirl]

How exactly were they washed?

I didn't ask for specifics, but I know they were washed in the washer (with detergent). I think they were in the dryer too.

 

[lovinwaves]

I didn't ask for specifics, but I know they were washed in the washer (with detergent). I think they were in the dryer too.

Oh my goodness...oookay nevermind


Can I just say that's pretty awesome she took on the task of disassembling a seat to clean it? I mean, I know she didn't do it correctly, but wow my mom never would have known how to get the straps out LOL!

 

[ProudMomof5]

I am interested in this as well... why can't you wash the straps? I think I heard that it makes them not as strong, but why is that?
How about the car seat cover, is it okay to wash that?

 

[NZ Child Restraints]

I am interested in this as well... why can't you wash the straps? I think I heard that it makes them not as strong, but why is that?
How about the car seat cover, is it okay to wash that?

It can ruin the fibres in the webbing, and the detergents can strip the firbres down. The cover should be hand washed - as per instruction manual - as they are covered with a flame retardant material that can be washed off in the machine.

 

[lovinwaves]

I am interested in this as well... why can't you wash the straps? I think I heard that it makes them not as strong, but why is that?
How about the car seat cover, is it okay to wash that?

Every carseat manufacture has different instructions regarding cleaning the straps, shell, and cover. It's best to defer to the manual regarding this. In general most manufacturers allow handwashing the cover and drip dry. The straps can be sponged cleaned with water ONLY. If you do a forum search on cleaning straps you can find lots of wonderful info. Sometimes puke, or other stains require more cleaning. There are circumstances where completely replacing the straps is a necessity. It's always best to have an extra set of straps. You can buy a set by calling the manufacture.

 

[NZ Child Restraints]

I replaced my Ma straps because they got wet in transit from the US and turned moldy. Britax would not cover it due to it being on intl waters. There was mold that would not come off no matter what i tried - I got black straps in the end.

 

[jwren]

Is it ok to take them out and spray them with a garden hose, cold water then let them dry outside..?

How exactly were they washed?

 

[NZ Child Restraints]

Is it ok to take them out and spray them with a garden hose, cold water then let them dry outside..?

Sponge clean only for Britax i believe - but that does not always get stuff out. Replacement is costly each time too.

Another issue with washing the straps is it can stretch the fibres.

 

[tjham]

The Britax manual says this:

http://www.britaxusa.com/uploads/docs/cateauchyx.pdf

Cleaning the Harness
SPONGE CLEAN using warm water and mild soap.
TOWEL DRY
DO NOT bleach, machine wash, machine dry, or disassemble the harness.

I called to ask what is considered a mild soap. They said Dove, Ivory, etc. dishwashing liquid, very diluted.

If it was really yucky, I would swish the harness through the mild soapy water, (maybe brush with a very soft toothbrush), and then swish through clear water, then towel dry and air dry.

Most brands say "hand wash only" for their covers but most of us machine wash on "gentle" or "handwash" with gentle soap and no fabric softener. Then air dry.

 

[singingpond]

I didn't ask for specifics, but I know they were washed in the washer (with detergent). I think they were in the dryer too.

First off, I'm very much a skeptic on the hazards of submerging harness webbing in water, despite what it says in most of the manuals. I have handwashed harness straps in water, with a bit of mild detergent, and I will definitely consider doing this again in the future (if someone barfs on the harness, for example).

HOWEVER, having someone else wash the harness in the machine (unknown agitation stress, especially if it wasn't on gentle cycle), with unknown detergent and possibly other laundry additives, and then putting it in the dryer (unknown temperature and duration) would be beyond my comfort level. I would buy new harness straps for the seat. Oh, and double-check the routing of the harness... I don't think you said which seat it is, just that you are considering replacing it with a Marathon soon? Rethreading the harness can be tricky on some seats (ETA, just saw in you sig that it's a Snugride -- not much rethreading complexity there).

I think you asked whether it could wait until the Britax sale. Personally, I probably wouldn't. The sale is at the end of the month, isn't it? And then there's still an additional wait for delivery time. Also, unless you were planning to throw away your current seat, wouldn't it be better to have completely trustworthy straps on it, for any possible future use?

Katrin

 

[nisi]

:yeahthat:

My own personal comfort level with using washed harness straps is higher than most here, but even I would not be comfortable using harness straps that were machine washed and dried. I vote replace, or pick up a Scenera to use until you get a MA. It'll make a good spare later. :twocents:

 

[carseatcoach]

For most seats, you can just replace the straps: you don't need to buy a brand-new seat.