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Tips on how to clean fabric on stroller / pram. Got a stroller/pram that you haven’t cleaned in a while, especially the dirty fabric? Dirty fabric can look horrible. Here we take a look at the various ways to clean the fabric of your pram.
Introduction
Like most fabric, even the stroller seat and fabric get dirty over time, due to several reasons – the little one sleeps in it, eat in its, soils his diaper in it. Its common to find food crumbles in the fabric, and also stains due to residue of leaky diapers. The little ones who use the stroller spill food, drink and other things (say worse) so you will need to clean the fabric once in a while.
Germs such as viruses, microscopic bacteria and fungi may grow on the unsanitary stroller fabric, which could cause disease. Hence, its important to clean the stroller and stroller fabric regularly.
Strollers get filthy over time, especially its fabric. Removing the fabric and washing it in a washing machine and dryer seems to be the most convenient way of cleaning the fabric.
Just check the fabric along with different parts of the stroller. Do you notice food crumbles on the seat fabric? Are their wet messes, like chocolate, sauce, or ice cream? If yes, clean them immediately.
How to Clean Stroller Fabric
You can clean the fabric with soapy water (made with laundry powder or liquid) and scrub brush. Then you can rinse it with the hose in the garden. Some users also rinse the fabric in the shower.
You can leave it in the sun or overnight to dry. The fabric can take a bit of time to dry, so don’t do the cleaning if you need to use your pram/stroller right away.
You can also use the interior upholstery/carpet wipes that you get for cars to clean prams/pushchairs. These clean the fabric well and makes it look like new.
Some users spray Fabreze or use Stardrops cleaner to clean the fabric.
Read: Best Fabric Cleaning Plus Stain Remover Kit
Steps to Clean Stroller Fabric
- Read the instruction on how to remove stroller fabric
- Keep these tools handy to clean the stroller fabric: Screwdriver . Dust Brush . Hand vacuum . Baby-safe soap . Lukewarm water . Terry-cloth towels . Large bowl or bucket . Toothbrush
- Remove the fabric. On some strollers, you may have to use screwdriver to remove the bolts that hold the fabric down.
- Brush away the food particles/debris. If they still remain, use a vacuum.
- Suck up all the loose debris from the fabric surfaces with a handheld vacuum.
- With a damp cloth (soap water),clean the fabric and canopy. Scrub any soiled area using soft brush or toothbrush.
- If machine wash is recommended, using a gentle cycle wash the canopy and seat.
- If stains still remain, wet the spot and spray the target spot directly using a stain removing spray. Scrub the spot with a small brush.
- For molds, scrub with gentle soap and water.
- Leave the fabric in a warm place for several hours. Avoid machine drying.
Related: Best stain remover kits
Can a stroller fabric by cleaned in a washer and dryer?
How do you know if the fabric is machine-washable? How to find out if the washer is safe for the stroller seat fabric?
Here are few things that you can do:
- While most seats are designed to be hand-washed in cold water, or sponge cleaned, look out for the fabric care instructions label (its usually mentioned on the stroller seat).
- Certain foam padded seats are better washed by wiping them down, and washing machines usually doesn’t do a great job of cleaning such fabric.
- For fabrics that are only slightly dirty, sponge dipped in (lukewarm) soap water and brush should do a decent job.
- Tumble-dry is usually not recommended as the heat heat produced could possibly damage the inner materials of the fabric.
- A friend of mine put the removable fabric in a washing machine for cleaning, assuming that the firm thing in the middle was a piece of foam. However, it turned out to be a cardboard and it completely ruined the fabric. So another good reason to read the instruction manual.
Related: How to thoroughly clean a stroller, detailed steps.
Fabric Cleaning Precautions
Be careful when cleaning the stroller fabric. Read the manual to see if they have any suggestions.
Water warmer than 100 degrees Fahrenheit can degrade the stain-resistant coating on some strollers. Do not wash the fabric in a washing machine, as this could damage the material and remove the stain-resistant coating as well. Avoid using detergents (on most strollers, including BOB stroller). Detergents can damage the material and eat away the stain-resistant properties. Scrubbing the material too hard can also cause damage.
Never place the stroller fabric in the dryer. Heat from the dryer can cause the material to break down, leading to fraying of the straps and tears in the fabric. Allow the fabric to air dry, but do not place it in the sun to dry. The UV rays can cause discoloration and result in the threads breaking down over time.
A clean and well-maintained Stroller will allow your family to explore the world for years to come!
Know of more cleaning tips? Please share below.
StrollerBoards is a family managed website with me (Ben) and my wife doing most of the work. We are proud parents of two wonderful kids and love reviewing baby travel gear. We have a firm but friendly “democratic parenting” style and offer several practical solutions backed by extensive research. Our own experience with raising two children prompted us to share our knowledge. Read more.
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