Consumer Reports: How to clean your child's car seat safely

The coronavirus pandemic has many of us on a disinfecting spree.

For many surfaces experts recommend a bleach solution as one good defense against COVID-19, but bleach and other disinfectants may not be the best for your child’s car seat.

SPREE.

FOR MANY SURFACESEXPERTS RECOMMEND A BLEACH BUTIT AND OTHER DISINFECTANTS MAYNOT BE THE BEST FOR YOURCHILD'S CAR SEAT.

CONSUMREREPORTS HAS MORE ON THE BESTOPTIONS TO CLEAN SAFELY.PARENTS ARE FOLLOWING PUBLICHEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS.

.USING BLEACH- BASED AND OTHERDISINFECTANTS TO KILL THECORONAVIRUS ON SURFACES AROUNDTHEIR HOUSE-- EVERYTHING FROMCOUNTERTOPS TO CABINETS.

BUTONE SURFACE THAT SHOULD NOT BECLEANED WITH THOSE SAME HARSHCHEMICALS IS A CHILD'S CARSEAT.

CHYRON: EMILY THOMAS,CONSUMER REPORTS, AUTO SAFETYENGINEER "WHEN IT COMES TO CARSEATS, EACH COMPONENT MUSTWITHSTAND HIGH FORCES ANDREPEATED USE IN ORDER TO KEEPKIDS SAFE DURING A CRASH SOYOU DON'T WANT TO USE ANYCLEANERS OR DISINFECTANTS THATCOULD COMPROMISE ANY OF THESEAT'S COMPONENTS IN ANY WAY."SO WHAT SHOULD YOU USE?

TOFIND OUT WHAT YOU NEED REFERTO YOUR CAR SEAT'S OWNER'SMANUAL.

THERE YOU'LL FINDWASHING AND DRYINGINSTRUCTIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICTO NOT ONLY YOUR CAR SEATMODEL BUT FOR EACH OF THESEAT'S COMPONENTS.

IF YOU NOLONGER HAVE YOUR MANUAL, MANYOFFER AN ONLINE VERSION OR YOUCAN GET A REPLACEMENT FROM THEMANUFACTURER'S CUSTOMERSERVICE.

MOST MANUFACTURERSSAY IT'S OK TO MACHINE WASHAND AIR DRY THE CAR SEATCOVER, BUT YOU SHOULD NEVERPUT THE HARNESS IN THE WASHINGMACHINE.

INSTEAD, FOLLOWMANUFACTURER INSTRUCTIONS TOCLEAN THE HARNESS BY-HAND.MOST SPECIFY USING A MILD SOAPAND WATER MIXTURE.

PLASTICCOMPONENTS CAN ALSO BE WIPEDDOWN WITH MILD SOAP AND WATERAS WELL.

IF YOU HAVE ALREADYCLEANED YOUR CAR SEATINCORRECTLY, REACH OUT TO ITSMANUFACTURER FOR REPLACEMENTCOVERS AND PARTS.

"SO WITH ALLOF US STUCK AT HOME WITH OURKIDS AND NOT TRAVELINGANYWHERE.

IT REALLY IS THEPERFECT TIME TO CLEAN OURCHILD'S CAR SEAT.

AND IT'SALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TOMAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD'SCAR SEAT STILL FITS THEMPROPERLY.

SO REVIEW THE HEIGHTAND WEIGHT GUIDELINES AND MAKETHE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTSNECESSARY." YOU CAN VISITCONSUMER REPORTS FOR A CARAT INSU KNOW YOUR CHILD ISFE.RE'S ANOME YOU SHOULD BE CAREFULWHENHERE'S ANOTHER ITEM IN YOURHOME YOU SHOULD BE CAREFUL