"Car seats are there for a lot: every traffic-induced meltdown, every spilled juice box, every road trip nap. Most importantly, they save lives. But while it's tempting to treat them like any other piece of kid gear when messes strike, they're not just another item you can toss in the wash. They're precision-built safety devices, and one misstep can compromise the parts designed to protect your child."
"A quick toss in the washing machine may seem harmless, but it can ruin a car seat: "It could degrade the harness webbing itself, so it could weaken it," says Kyndra Webb, a child passenger safety technician instructor and member of the National Child Passenger Safety Board. A harness is the only thing between your child and physics in a car crash."
Car seats are precision-built safety devices that protect children in crashes and require careful cleaning. Machine washing or aggressive cleaning can degrade harness webbing, weaken restraints, shrink or distort covers, and strip protective or fire-retardant coatings. The harness is the only barrier between a child and crash forces, so any weakening reduces effectiveness. Many covers contain fire retardants that degrade with repeated washing, lowering safety quality. Cleaning should follow manufacturer instructions, use gentle methods, and avoid processes that compromise materials. Improper reassembly after cleaning can also undermine safety, and professional help should be sought when unsure.
Read at WIRED
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