How to maintain, clean Baby Strollers

Baby Strollers become integral part of the family sooner than you think. Its just gonna be your new thing to carry every time you take your baby since their birth, just like an armor, if not complete stroller, it would be the infant car seat. Taking care of such strollers is most important aspect to ensure proper health & hygiene of your baby. This helps in longevity of the stroller as well.

Its better to be prepared to know ‘How to Maintain/Clean your Baby Stroller’ even before getting a stroller, if you haven’t yet bought a stroller, you can refer our ‘All About Baby Strollers’ to have a better understanding. Maintaining of these strollers is going to be easy if you understand on How to Clean, What to Clean, When to Clean, How to take care etc., You would realize the need for knowing this very soon you start taking your baby out. So, it is always good to be prepared.

Before you Start –

Be sure to check the product manual from the manufacturer and understand about any specific instructions to dissemble or clean or to get an idea of the removable parts of the particular product you have.  Take the stroller away from your child and try to use an Open space instead of inside of the house as much as possible.

If you are not comfortable in dissembling and re-assembling, avoid to do so & just wipe off the stroller as much as possible with a clean and dry cloth. Wipe the frame with a wet cloth and let your stroller dry it up for some time before using it again.

Get Ready –

Gently wipe of all the larger particles on the stroller with a cloth or duster to the extent possible. Next thing, is to run a Vacuum cleaner using the detachable nozzles on the stroller. This will help clean the loose particles that were left off after the duster. The areas on the corner of baby seat are the most tricky places that retain most of the food particles, dust, etc., If you have a portable car vacuum, use it for better results.

Remove the Removables –

Following the instructions provided by the manufacturer, remove the parts/pieces of your stroller one by one. Start from the top to avoid repeated cleaning. Once the top parts like Canopy, Sun shade, Straps, Seat cover/fabric are removed, use a gentle soap liquid like Dawn (which is in mild concentration) to soak and wash these fabrics. Please check the manual to see if some fabrics should not be washed. Use COLD & mild water only for all your washing.

If your stroller comes with an Extra padded Harness system, do not immerse/soak this in water, instead rinse or wipe it with wet cloth and put it to dry under sun immediately.

Soft Fabrics like (seat pad) the ones that are Non-Removable, like the fabric that comes attached to infant car seat, can be wiped with a wet cloth dipped in mild soap liquid. Make sure you let the car seat dry in the outside air for some time. Sun shades, Wind covers, Rain Covers can be rinsed in mild, cold soap water and air dried outside or let them get drip dried.

If you have a Travel Bag that you use always, its better to wash it along with your stroller again (as a general practice, its good to have your travel bag cleaned more frequently than a stroller). If you are cleaning it now, just make sure you empty the bag, wipe it up with a mild soap liquid and turn the bag inside out to get it dried. Make sure you dry it out in a good place.

Hard Parts – You can wipe off the hard parts of the frames with general wet clothes and then use a dry cloth to remove the dampness from the same. Although most of the frames are made of aluminum, it is good to avoid any dampness and avoid corrosion of the metal.

If you are not able to dissemble the frame, make sure you use a soft brush to get to the close joints and clean it up there. Let the frame be air dried once you wipe the frame with a dry cloth. Never use any harsh chemicals even if it is not for the fabrics.

Parts like Handlebars, Parent tray, Child/Snack Tray, Cup holders are generally detachable. You can soak these in soap water, rinse and dry them in sun shade. Get the ‘Buckles’ in to hot water and make sure the buttons are released/operate couple of time and then wipe them with a dry cloth.

If you are able to detach the wheels of your stroller, make sure you wipe of the wheels properly with a wet cloth and then with a dry cloth. If you have rubber tries, ensure the nozzle is properly closed and avoid letter water get into that. Plastic wheels can be wiped off easily thought. In either cases, make sure that there is no dampness left before you attach them back to the stroller.

Once all the parts of your stroller are dried up, you can re-assemble the stroller with all of its parts back in place. Double check your stroller for correct fixings before you get your baby back in to the stroller or car seat. Don’t let your baby sit if the stroller is still damp or wet.

Things to Remember for Better Maintenance –

• You can control some of the mess probably by using external accessories like, Wind shield, Rain Cover, etc., If you are living country side and go on regular evening walks, these wind covers will help your kid to be away from dust and other things as well.
• Try to use good bibs, napkins if you are feeding your baby in the stroller. Clean the mess after every meal session that you spent with your baby in the stroller.
• Store the Stroller in a dry and clean place after every usage.
• Don’t leave your stroller in a damp area or in wet condition, if your stroller got drenched in rain, for any reason, make sure you wipe it up as soon as possible and keep it as much as possible. This will help avoid any corrosion.
• Make sure you always check your stroller before placing your baby into it.
• Keep oiling your stroller to avoid any squeaky noises and have better maneuverability.
• Ensure you have proper air pressure in the tires if you are having rubber tires, this will ensure to have the tires last longer time.
• If you are having a stroller with plastic tires, keep any eye on the wheels, they may get easily flatten if you use them on rough terrains mostly.