So I Was Cleaning My Toddler's Car Seat Today . . .

One of our most embarrassing moments was when we had to do the airport security check with my sons carseat. The inspection lady turned the carseat upside down and out poured fruit snacks, cheerios, fruitloops, you name it out it came. We were mortified! I vacuum in the seat every now and then but apparently wasn't getting it all. So, to answer your question, yes, we let the kids eat in the car. : )

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Once, my son (3) was licking his fingers and putting them in the drink holder next to his carseat and licking them again. Come to find out, there was an old, completely melted dum dum sucker covering the bottom of the cup holder. Gross...

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I do let my daughter (and me) eat in the car. I don't like the results, but I can't seem to get life organized in a way that eliminates sometimes eating in the car.

I have been leasing cars for quite a few years now. I wait until it is time to turn in the car then spend $100 or so to get it detailed. Worth every penny.

The worst food event in a car of mine was my fault. I made some turkey soup with a cream base to bring to a family holiday gathering. I didn't pack it right and some spilled in the trunk. I cleaned it, but... The next summer the car was parked in the hot sun, I opened the trunk and Whew!! the smell. I cleaned it and cleaned it with Lysol and couldn't get rid of the smell. I did the detailing (told them to especially clean the trunk) and turned in the car (in the winter). By now, I bet some new owner has opened the trunk and said "What IS that smell?!?"

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lol, love it! My worst scenario was the time I came out to the van one morning and found ants swarming all over the carseat! So you know it must have had at least one six-month-old raisin in there somewhere. ( :

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Go to YouTube and watch "Mom my ride" - yep, that's my car (and probably 90% of all the moms on Mamapedia!) hahahaha

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we don't do food in the car 99% of the time. exceptions being driving for 2 days to go on vacation. if it's under an hour i am very anti-food in my car. not because i am afraid of choking - i don't want to have to clean up the mess you just described! lol! *shivers*...i am nowhere near super-mom enough for that lol!

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Yes, my kids eat in the car, for better or worse.

One of my kids spilled milk in his one time, and it was hot that day. When I came out to run an errand... oh my, the smell! I had to pull the entire cover off and run in and put it in the washing machine! No errand that day!

The other thing I remember was my youngest son's apple cores. Under the seat in front of him. I HATED that! I found them all over the house too! He still eats apples for breakfast...

My kids wouldn't eat raisins. Now I can think of a positive reason for that!!

D.

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My 2 1/2 year old daughter has gotten sick in the car twice already! Cleaning up throw up off a car seat is sooooo way more disgusting than old food... yes I let her eat in the car and I try to vacuum often but it does get nasty! Every once in a while I think I should ban food in the car, but it keeps her quiet sometimes lol.

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No. My kids are not allowed to eat in the car not just because of the mess but because what if they choke. How much precious time wasted pulling over, unbuckling, unbuckling the child, etc before yo can help them. The only thing they get in the car is water if they get hungry I always keep snacks we find a safe place to pull over and eat outside the car. So no I don't find disgusting surprises in their carseats.

Edited: I don't spend all my time worrying but my youngest has food issues/swallowing/chewing it's improving but he gags and chokes I can't see him if I'm driving and most times I dont have his brother with me. So yes choking in the car is something I worry about.

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Oh my gosh I am just cracking up! Thank you to everyone who shared their gross stories, as I have my own too!! I let my girls eat in the car and it's usually just goldfish, dry snacks, etc....BUT my oldest is still only 3 and pees in her sleep. You can see where this is going. She fell asleep in her seat on the way home from the mall and peed. (I bought a piddle pad two days later, but the damage was done). What made it worse was that I waited until the next day to clean it!! I sat on the patio in the hot Texas sun cleaning that gooey mess from every nook and cranny! I had to use a bottle brush (and then threw it in the trash), and an entire thing of Clorox wipes, THEN wiped it all off with soapy water! It took HOURS! I also machine washed the cover TWICE & let it air dry in the sun all day. It was SICK!! I am in love with whoever invented the Piddle Pad!! =D

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OMG...I think I would vomit if I found a swarm of ants on my kids' carseat!!! Ugh! Yes, I do too let my kids eat in the car. There are a million good reasons not to do it, but I don't listen to any of those! Sometimes it is easier and if we're on the go a lot then it happens. I haven't disassembled either of their seats but we did take them out recently for a airplane trip and boy were they dropping Cheerios, Goldfish and raisins everywhere! It was sort of embarssing! Finally I started banging it against the sidewalk and left a puddle of crumbs in my wake. Sad but true!

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It is disgusting isnt it? And I DONT let my kids eat in the car! Sand, dirt, lint, you name it! Its gross! And I thought my kids were neat in the car.

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When the "old van" died and we have been grateful to "Use" "daddy's new jeep" the rule has been no food. It has been tough but we have survived. Now when my new-old car is legal and insured and has a new tire, yes he will be able to eat in "mommy's car"
As for a good surprise, I usually keep an older purse in the car with a back up outfit and some wet wipes and a diaper ( now pullups) last time I cleaned out my old van I found a $20 stuck in my emergency bag...that was an awesome surprise = )

You think what you found is gross, ugh, I was cleaning out the play room today and found awful things in the couch cushions, you would think it would be bad enough for me to say no more snacks in the play room, but even after all my hard work he is in there right now with a bowl of cheeto's...it is just too convenient to say no to.

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Yes and puke! Her seat is gross and she's not even in it very much!

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Yes, my kids eat in the car. Yes, it makes for some disgusting discoveries.

As far as worrying about choking... No, that's really not on my radar as I'm hurling down the interstate at 65mph with hundreds of other blocks of steel. If I were to live my life playing "what if", I'd keep the kids home so they couldn't get in a car wreck.

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I do let my kid eat in the car and I got my first surprise last week. It was a moldy apple that was barely together enough to pick up to throw out. GROSS!!! Her car seat should probably be washed every 6 months but that thing is a pain to get out. I'm lucky if I do it once a year. It says to hand wash it but gimme a break! I throw that thing in the wash on gentle and hang dry. Who in the world makes a car seat cover Houdini couldn't figure out and then tells you you can't put it in the washer?! That's cruel and unusual punishment for parents!

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Yes I let my son eat in the car and I wash it once a month. I have now become a pro at getting it back together. The more you do it the less hassle I find. But here in Texas everything melts.

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Uh yes - we live in Houston and I have had the asme experieince. I do have a seat saver under the car seat
http://www.rightstart.com/prince-lionheart-two-stage-seat...
(WELL worth the $24 investment) so nothing actually gets on the real car seat, just the seat saver. You have reminded me it's been a few months so I nead to take it out and wash it again this weekend - thanks!

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It's those crevices that food gets lodged in, that you don't see when you wipe it down! I take the seat out after I wipe it and shake it good and hard, so it dislodges some of the nook and cranny stuff and I can clean it better. My little guy eats Goldfish, dry cereal, chips (that his auntie gives him) and drinks juice or water from a sippy cup. He has also eaten part of a McGriddle, chicken McNuggets and fries while sitting there, with someone next to him. Oh, and a few days ago while I ran into the house to grab my purse his cousin, 10, handed him a bag of Cheetos puffs, I NEVER hand him the big bag, just one or 2 puffs, and his auntie said it happened so fast she couldn't stop it, she saw him in the rear view mirror pouring them on his head :-/ I never knew there was SO much cheese in the bottom of the bags...or that it could get stuck in the crevices so easily...what a mess to clean up!

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1) Yes I do let my daughter eat in the car, but only certian kinds of food/snacks that are not sticky/melty. I like it when I can haul out the vaccum and stick it in the sit and suck the crumbs all up. Over the years I have limited it, only giving snacks when running errands at snack time (10amish or 2 pmish). Also during the summer, once a week we have lunch in the car, no other option because of timing of when I need to be at work and when I can drop her off at grandma's.

2) One of the grandparents gave my daughter some yummy sticky melty chocolate right before we left their house. I was busy putting items in the car, did not notice till we got home and it was on the car seat, in her hair, on the floor. >>Mommy was not happy<< Took the car seat apart and cleaned it well.

I usually do a good cleaning of the car seat once a season (3-4 times a year). Have to say as they get older and the car seats/boosters are easier to clean.

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Oh yes! At one point, my car was literally growing. It was gross! Had to have the car detailed. Now that my boys are older, they are not allowed to eat in my car. I also have a new car so that is double incentive. We just build time into the schedule and sit down to eat. Better for you anyway.

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Either take it off and wash it and dry it with laundry of similar weights and colors or take the whole seat to the car-wash. Then just set it where it will dry over night.

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My car is 8 years old so I do allow it. I have to say, I couldn't imagine not allowing it (we are the go A LOT!). Sometimes they have to eat lunch in the car, etc. I just never allow anything too messy. I do wash the seat covers every 3 or 4 months though. I was really intimidated the first few times but I've washed them so much now it's easy. You'll get used to it.

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Well, the worst surprise of all is when you get in a friends car, and they remove the car seat so you can sit down. Ewwwwwwwww
When our kids were little my husband had a fit if the kids ate in the car,
but we did it occasionally. He LOVES his cars clean, and that is OK by me.

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My son doesn't eat in the car as much as he used to, but when cleaning out the booster/car seat I usually find a mix of gunky crumbs plus melted crayons and legos.

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Yes, even though when I bought the car I promised myself that they wouldn't eat in the car, one vacation later and they continue to eat there. I hate cleaning out under the car seats because it is usually a disgusting experience. I now try to clean up every time I go to the gas station. While the car is filling up I am throwing stuff out.

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Well I regularly vacuum the car seats and interior of our van.
So it gets rid of any mess/crumbs etc.
Yes, my kids eat in the car.

And we have a car rubbish can in it too.

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ha ha, we stopped letting them eat in the cars but somehow we still find food!....and yes we find surprises all the time. My husband told me just today he found a dirty diaper wedged under the passenger seat (and we run a tight ship) " must have been from our road trip to Austin i said"

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Nope, and that's why. I don't even let adults eat in my car. I do drink coffee in it.

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1. yes! 2. We usually clean it when needed. Like one of the kids will spill a juice or milk or the outside will look nasty or my youngest will have a poopy diaper. Not that it gets on the seat it just smells so we wash them about three times a yr. I also take the plastic base and scrub it down outside. They need to be washed again. there is a gummy stuck to the side of my sons right now!

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I second the recommendation for watching "Mom My Ride". It is hysterical... primarily because I think it shows what all of our cars really look like! We take our car seats apart several times a year and wash the padding, etc. in the washing machine. We also keep a seat protector under the car seat in case things seem to make their way down to the seat. I also vacuum my car out at least once a week. HTH!

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I have teenagers and we still find surprises in the van.
Like yesterday-a cowbell with "Subaru" printed on it. No one knows where it came from, who it belongs to or anything.
Any time I move the seats around in the mini van I find French Fries.
My worst find-happened more than once-bottles/sippy cups with soy formula. After a few days a nice mold gets going in there-fortunately those cups are sealed. I just throw them away-can't imagine the stench opening up the lids. My youngest (13) still prefers soy formula-she had a milk allergy- so I STILL find travel cups and water bottles with soy formula kicked under the furniture in the game room. And I STILL just throw those suckers away.
Fun post.

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EWWW. I know. I have to wipe out my kids carseats at least 1x or 2x a WEEK because they are MESSY!

So, yes, I let them eat in the car. The most disgusting find was some old meat from a sandwich that had wedged itself underneath the carseat. I was disgusted with that. That ended the whole eating meat in the car. Now its only snacks and milk/water. Thank god the carseats can be washed---they sure go through alot!

M

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My kid is 13 now so everything is different, but after reading these posts it made me remember how much more peaceful and content car trips were when she had a little cup of Cheerios, so I do not for one moment regret letting her eat in the car. One caveat, though...I put the carseat in storage in the attic once she was too big for it. No matter how clean it is when you are finished, unless you're going to have another child pretty soon you will NEVER want to use that seat again after you see what it looks like after a couple of years in an attic in the Texas heat! Talk about disgusting! Every forgotten stain magnifies and intensifies and the critters will go after those spots!

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Just wanted to let you know that if you DID wash the harness of the car seat, you will need to replace it. The harness itself cannot be submerged in water because it causes the fibers to weaken making it susceptable to breaking in a crash. You can use a damp washcloth to wipe it down but don't wash it in the washing machine, dishwasher or submerge it in water.

ANYWAY, my kids rarely eat in the car. I'm a neat freak and the crumbs and clutter in the car just drive me batty. We did just get back from a 22hr (one way) road trip and my car was DISGUSTING! The kids ate in the car for a couple meals and it was gross. Reminded me of why they don't eat in the car. :) Sometimes they do have dry snacks like cheddar bunnies or cheerio's. And water is always allowed in their sports bottles.

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I take the whole thing out, hose it down, spray it with Resolve, hose it, scrub with various sizes of old brushes/toothbrushes, hose it down several times until it stops making bubbles and let it dry in the hot east Texas sun!
I do this because I can't figure out how to take it off, though the manual says it is easy to remove. HA!

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