Bacteria thrives in places like toilets, toothbrushes and the kitchen sink, but now you can add your child's car seat to the top of the list. Surprised? It makes sense, your baby sits on it with a dirty diaper which sometimes leaks, she drinks a bottle, maybe, vomits and when she gets older she eats in it. Scientists tested twenty car seats and found dangerous bacteria, such a E. coli and salmonella living comfortably in the seats.
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Most parents neglect to clean their vehicles. The inside of most family cars resembles dumpsters with leftover snacks, slimy toys, crumbs, milk drippings, stains and everything else. If you want to protect your kids from nasty fungi, viruses and bacteria follow these simple but efficient tips.
1. Clean the Inside of your car often: Not just pick up the clutter, you have to wash and dust everything. Pay close attention to the things you touch the most like the wheel, dashboard and door handles.
2. Remove seat covers: I know you are concerned about protecting the seat from stains, but those seat covers are full of bacteria. You probably never wash them and everybody sits on them with dirty clothes and shoes. Kids pick their nose, wipe their hands and pets rest on them. Get the picture? Take them off!
3. Wash the car seat regularly: The wet wipes are not getting the job done, it might be wiping away the visible dirt but it's not killing the bacteria. You have to remove the cover and wash the seat inside and out to make sure the unseen agents die. Your baby spends a lot of time in that seat and his face and mouth are very close to the sides of the seat. He touches it and puts his fingers back in his mouth. Ideally you should wash the car seat after every use, but a couple times a week will help.
4. Keep antibacterial soap handy: Leave a couple of bottles in the car so you can wipe the wheel and clean your hands and the hands of your passengers before you touch anything. You should almost treat your car as a public restroom. If you buy a kids version of the soap you could wipe the side of the seat your baby touches the most.
5.Spray the inside: You have seen those crazy antibacterial air freshener commercials, right? They work because they kill airborne bacteria. Keep a bottle handy and get in the habit of spraying your car after every use.
Image via Corbis
