Where small children go, messes follow. A well-used stroller is likely to be stained by spilled drinks, smeared sunscreen, and muddy shoes. Crumbs, dirt, and sand will have found their way into every crevice. A particularly unlucky day might have even seen a diaper blowout, a potty-training accident, or projectile vomit.
All that is to say that cleaning a stroller is one of those unpleasant yet necessary parenting tasks. How often you clean it depends on the level of mess and your personal tolerance for griminess. Diligent cleaners advocate for vacuuming and wiping down a stroller every week or even after every use, but in many circumstances, one deep clean every season is plenty—or even once a year if the stroller isn’t used regularly.
The exception, as with car seats, is bodily fluids, which should be dealt with as soon as possible before the smell becomes unbearable.
For tips on cleaning strollers, we spoke with Sarah Huff, senior manager for customer and community at nationwide baby-gear rental service BabyQuip, and Lauren Siclare, founder of the New Jersey–based car seat and stroller-cleaning company BuckleBath. They recommend using unscented cleaning products whenever possible, as children can be particularly sensitive to strong smells or chemicals on their skin. Another important thing to keep in mind: If you wash the fabric separately, make sure to put it back on the frame before it dries. Otherwise it could warp or shrink.
