The best way to store your car seats is by keeping them in a cool, dry, and clean place, away from direct sunlight. Proper storage is crucial for maintaining the integrity, functionality, and longevity of your car seats. When you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for storage, you can prevent deformation and ensure that the seats retain their original shape. It’s important to remember that compromised car seats not only lead to discomfort for your child but also pose significant safety risks.
Car seats are expensive, and to get the best value out of them, you need to look after them properly. For instance, you could pay over $500 for products like the Clek Foonf Convertible Seat. This shows that, as moms, we are willing to spend much money to ensure our kids’
safety. However, we are also actively seeking ways to save money for our children’s future. It makes sense then that we want to ensure our kid’s car seats last as long as possible.
Having reviewed and used many car seats, in this article, I share my experience on different ways to store a car seat securely, the steps to keep it and maintain its integrity, and the best places to store them in your house.
9 Ways to Store a Car Seat
If you are going to read nothing else in this article, here are the ten ways of storing your car seat:
1. Store your baby’s car seat in a storage bag
You can buy a storage bag from your car seat manufacturer or on Amazon. After putting the car seat in a storage bag, store it in a cool, dry place or rodent-free room.
2. Store Your Car Seat In Your Car’s Trunk
If you use this car seat regularly but need extra space in your vehicle and traveling without your baby, you can store your car seat in your car’s trunk. Put it in a nice bag or seal it in a plastic bag, and you’re good to go!
3. Store on a Hanging Shelf
If you plan to store your car seat for an extended time, keeping it away from the ground is best. Put it on a hanging shelf to avoid any small insects and dust.
4. Use The Original Shipping Box
Storing your seat in its original box is one smart way to keep your car seat. Put it in a protective plastic bag before putting it in its box.
5. Store in an Empty Closet
An empty closet is one of the best ways to store your car seat. It has enough ventilation and space and is not exposed to direct sunlight.
6. Use a Storage Unit
You can always store it in a storage unit if you don’t have enough room. Before storage, just ensure you have made all the necessary preparations which can be found in the next part of this article.
7. Find Empty Spaces Under Your Bed
If you have a platform bed, the place under your bed is usually empty. You can store your car seat under your bed once you have put it in a storage box.
8. Store In the Basement
Use your basement as storage. Before choosing your car seat storage basement, ensure it is clean, dry, and bug-free.
9. Store in a Storage Box
You can use a storage box. Storage boxes are great ways to store stuff. Use storage boxes if you need more space in your house. This way, you can always stack them.
Getting Your Car Seat Ready for Storage
If you’ve decided where you will store your car seat, here are some steps to prepare it for storage:
Remove All Detachable Parts
These parts must be stored separately in a tight, sealed bag. But make sure to put them all in one storage box or bag altogether to avoid misplacing them.
Clean the Car Seat and its Parts Thoroughly
You can use your regular upholstery vacuum cleaner to clean your car seat before storing it. If you like to use a damp cloth to remove dirt or stains, allow your car seat to dry completely before putting it in a storage bag. If you don’t, it might develop mildew, affecting its integrity and your baby’s safety.
We have published an excellent article on how to clean seats made from different materials, including cloth, leather, and vinyl. You can also check your manufacturer’s instructions on deep cleaning and preparing your car seat for storage.
Clean the Place Where your Car Seat will be Stored
Cleaning your car seat before storage is not enough. Ensure that the storage box or bag where you will put it is clean and free of dust or dirt. You can also use a bug or insect spray to ensure that there won’t be any bugs or insects that might damage your car seat.
A Cool and Dry Place is Ideal for Preserving your Car Seat
After your preparations, you must find the perfect location to store your car seat to keep it safe. Below are factors to consider in choosing the right place to preserve your car seat:
- Avoid humidity: Humid areas can damage your car seat, especially if made of leather.
- Hot spots and direct sunlight: Extreme heat can dry up your car seat’s materials causing them to chip off.
- Away from kids and animals: Kids are always curious; they might run along with your car seat. They might play with it, which can cause damage or tear—same with your pets. Pets are prone to scratching and biting, potentially ruining your car seat.
Ways to Preserving Your Stored Car Seat’s Condition for a Long Time
If you are planning to keep your car seat in storage for a long time and keep it in perfect condition, here are some things you must remember:
- Do not store your car seat in a room with harmful chemicals. Chemicals and other toxic substances can cause damage to the materials of your car seat.
- Put silica gels in your storage box. These will absorb the extra moisture inside your storage box, preventing your car seat from growing mold.
- Put insect or bug repellent spray, bags, or balls to keep away insects and bugs that can cause damage to your car seats.
- Putting the car seat in a sealed container will protect it from dust and moisture.
- Don’t put heavy items above your storage box. After an extended period, these things might damage the top or the base of your storage, allowing dust, dirt, and moisture to enter.
- Check on your car seat now and then. Many things happen while your car seat is inside the storage.
Using a Car Seat Storage Bag
A storage bag is an essential additional purchase when buying a car seat. These bags are usually made from nylon or canvas and have a zipper or Velcro fastening. Their purpose is to protect your car seats from dirt, dust, and damage when they are not in use. It also makes transporting your car seat easier.
Can You Store a Car Seat in The Garage?
The short answer is that you can store a car seat in the garage. However, before doing so, you have to make sure that your garage is in proper condition. Most garages are home to pests and insects, don’t have appropriate ventilation, and are not climate controlled, which can damage your car seat.
If you plan to store your car seat in the garage, follow these steps:
- Clean your garage thoroughly. Check every box, storage bag, and other things in your garage. There can be some insects and pests already living in it. After checking those boxes and removing all the dirt and dust, it’s time for insect and bug sprays.
- Make sure your garage has the proper insulation. Insulation helps maintain a specific temperature by reducing air loss and preventing air from entering.
How Do You Winterize a Car Seat?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping your car seat inside the house when unused. This keeps the seat at room temperature.
It is also necessary to cover the straps with a coat or blanket. Remember your hats, mittens, socks, and booties. These keep children warm while not interfering with car seat straps. However, if you don’t have extra time to prepare all this or want to ensure that your baby is comfortable in their seat while traveling, you can buy a heated car seat.
Best Place to Store Car Seats Inside the House
Finding the best place to store your car seat inside? Here are your top three options:
- A spare closet: This is an ideal spot in the house to put your car seat. It must be dry, cool, clean, and empty so that your car seat will have a lot of space.
- In the attic: Ensure that your attic is clean, dry, and has no direct exposure to sunlight.
- A garage: ensure your garage has proper ventilation and controlled temperature.
It’s Time to Let Your Car Seat Go
All car seats have an expiration date, usually located at the bottom of the car seat. A car seat’s expiration is usually 6-10 years from the time it was manufactured.
One reason a car seat has an expiration is because of its materials. These materials degrade over time. For example, plastic becomes brittle and shatters easily after some time. The foam in a car seat can degrade and lose its capacity to absorb energy in an accident. An expired car seat should not be utilized.
Another factor to consider when it is time to let go of your car seat is if it was involved in a collision. A car seat involved in an accident cannot provide enough protection for your baby. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) advises replacing a car seat once it has experienced a moderate or severe crash.
Car Seat Donations
Instead of storing your car seat in storage, join a car seat giveaway. With this, you will be helping other moms who can’t purchase a car seat for their babies. You can look at Facebook groups and pages or visit your local churches and organizations to see if they accept car seat donations.
Conclusion
It is essential to store your car seat correctly to ensure it will be in perfect condition when you are ready to use it again. Before storing it, ensure it is cleaned thoroughly, appropriately sealed, and placed in a cool, dry, and insect-free place.
Having a baby is expensive; that is why, as moms, we do everything to save money, like saving our car seats for the next baby or helping other moms who can’t afford to buy their baby a car seat. However, there will come a time when you have to let it go and buy your baby a new car seat. If you find yourself in that situation, you can check out this article to learn more.
