How to get sand out of swivel car seat

[INeedNewShoes]

We've just had a lovely week's holiday in France but I stupidly plonked 16m old DD in the car seat after a beach trip without brushing off the sand first and it turns out half the beach was on her. I immediately took her out again and removed what sand I could but I can hear the grit in the swivel mechanism.

It's a GB Vaya seat and was a huge investment on my low budget so I'm appalled that I might have damaged it. DD is small so I am hoping to use the seat until she's at least 4. Have I ruined the chances of that or is there anything I can do?

I don't know about the inner workings of car seats I'm afraid, but what about turning it upside down, on it's sides etc?
This might move the sand to a hooverable position?
Good luck, I hope you get it sorted.

I don’t think a little sand in the swivel will fatally harm it. From what is see the swivel mechanism is to make it easier to put the child in?

If you can hear it making a grating sound then it probably isn’t in the bearings (if there are any , but just on the surfaces nearby.

With small kids sand (or bastarding glitter) is pretty much a given. If it’s any consolation a trip to the beach in my dads brand new work van somehow ended up with sand in the steering wheel. It made a dreadful noise but was all still working OK when he traded it in 4 years later.