My neighbor just asked me this last week. She’s expecting her second and her garage is a disaster zone. She’s got the infant seat from her first kid sitting in the corner collecting dust and she’s like “what do I even do with this thing?”
I told her the same stuff I’m gonna tell you.
Don’t be like my sister
My sister stored her car seat in the attic. Just tossed it up there wrapped in a garbage bag. When she pulled it down two years later for her second kid, the plastic had these weird white spots on it and the harness straps were stiff as a board.
She used it anyway. I gave her so much crap for that.
Don’t be my sister.
Step one – the deep clean
You gotta actually clean this thing. Not just wipe it down with a Clorox wipe and call it done.
Take the cover off. All of it. Every little pad and insert. Turn that thing inside out and shake it over the trash can first because I promise you there’s goldfish crumbs and dried applesauce in places you didn’t even know existed.
Then wash it. Cold water. Gentle soap. Nothing with bleach or fabric softener. Fabric softener messes with the fire retardant stuff.
Air dry it. This takes forever and it’s annoying but do it anyway. If you put it in the dryer you might shrink it and then you’re screwed because it won’t fit back on right.
The plastic shell just needs soap and water. A sponge is fine. Get in all those little grooves where the crumbs hide. Dry it with a towel and then let it sit out for a day just to make sure there’s no moisture left anywhere.
Take it all apart
Here’s the thing nobody tells you. Those car seats come apart into like six different pieces.
The base pops off. The headrest comes out. The padding all separates. The cup holders snap off.
Take all that stuff apart. It stores way better that way. You can stack the flat pieces and the bulky pieces won’t take up as much room.
And loosen the straps all the way. Like pull them out as far as they go. If you leave them tight for months they can stretch out or get permanent creases in them.
Where to put it
This is the big one.
Your garage is probably too hot or too cold. Your attic is definitely too hot. Your basement might be damp.
Car seats hate temperature swings. They hate humidity. The plastic gets brittle when it’s too hot or too cold and the fabric gets musty when it’s damp.
I know you probably don’t want this thing in your living room but honestly that’s the best spot. A spare closet. Under your bed. Anywhere inside your house where the temperature stays normal.
If you don’t have that kind of room, look for a storage unit that’s climate controlled. We’ve got them at our place and people use them for exactly this kind of stuff. Baby gear, holiday decorations, stuff that can’t handle the heat or cold.
Flipping it over
This sounds weird but store it upside down.
If you leave it sitting normal, dust falls right into the seat where your kid’s butt goes. Plus if there’s any leftover moisture it’ll settle down in the bottom and get musty.
Flip that thing over so it rests on the top part. Dust falls away instead of into it. Air circulates better. And it actually takes up less floor space that way too.
Watch out for bugs
Depending on where you live this is a real thing.
We had a guy bring a car seat into our storage place once and he didn’t check it first. Turned out something had gotten in there and chewed up the padding. Not good.
Give it a good shake before you store it. Check all the little pockets and crevices.
If you’re storing it somewhere like a garage or a storage unit, put it inside a big plastic bag. Leave it open a little bit for air flow though. You don’t want to seal it up completely or it’ll get musty. Just enough to keep the creepy crawlies out.
You can also throw some dryer sheets in there. Keeps it smelling fresh and bugs hate the smell.
Accessories
Those little cup holders and snack trays are impossible to find later if you just toss them somewhere.
Put them all in a ziplock bag. Label it. Tuck it into the harness straps so it stays with the seat.
I’ve got a friend who lost the cup holder to her car seat and had to order a new one online for like twenty bucks. Such a waste of money.
Label everything
If you’ve got multiple kids or multiple cars, this saves so much headache.
My wife and I used to have two car seats and two bases and we were always grabbing the wrong base for the wrong car.
Just put some tape on each piece and write on it. “Blue car base.” “Ella’s headrest.” Whatever.
It takes two seconds and you won’t be standing there at 7am in the rain trying to figure out which base goes with which seat.
How long can you even keep it
People get mad about this one but it’s true.
Car seats expire. Usually six to ten years from when they were made.
The plastic degrades over time. It just does. You can’t stop it.
So if that seat is already five years old and you’re planning to store it for another three years for your next baby, you’re gonna get maybe two years of use out of it before it expires.
Check the date. It’s stamped right into the plastic somewhere. If it’s getting close, you might be better off just getting a new one when the time comes.
If you’ve got more than one
Stacking them works but do it carefully.
Heavier one on the bottom. Lighter one on top. Put a piece of cardboard between them so they don’t rub against each other and scuff.
Don’t stack more than two. And don’t put anything heavy on top of the stack because the padding can get squished and lose its shape.
Setting it back up later
When you pull that seat back out, don’t just toss it in the car.
- Look at the plastic real careful. Any cracks? Any weird discoloration? If it looks strange, toss it. Seriously.
- Check the buckles. Do they click like they’re supposed to? Sometimes they get sticky from sitting around.
- Check the straps. Are they still flexible or do they feel stiff? Stiff straps are a bad sign.
- Wash the cover again if it sat for a long time. It’s probably got that storage smell going on.
If everything checks out, you’re good to go.
The bottom line
Car seats aren’t cheap. You wanna protect that investment. Take the time to clean them right and store them somewhere safe.
Inside the house is best. But if you can’t do that, a climate controlled storage spot works too. We’ve got those if you need one. Keeps the temperature steady so your seat doesn’t get cooked or frozen.
Don’t be my sister and just throw it in the attic. That thing had weird white spots on it. I don’t even know what that was. Mold maybe? I don’t even wanna think about it.
Anyway, hope this helps. Let me know if you’ve got questions. I’ve stored way too many car seats at this point so I’ve pretty much seen it all.
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