baby car seat bought off ebay smells of smoke, please help!

[umboo]

hello

we forgot to check it was a smoke free home- lesson learnt

the cover is removable and machine washable at 30 degrees.

any advice what i should put in with the wash and whether a soak is a good idea?

have read on internet about vinegar/bicarb/fabric conditioner/line drying- there's so many ideas, so i wanted to ask you wise people which is best!

need to do it today as am 38+4!!

many thanks!

Really really really recommend that you don't use a second hand car-seat. It could have been in an accident and thus not be safe. Even if it looks perfectly ok it is still a risk.

As well as the washing, shake lots of bicarb in lining, leave for an hour then hoover it out. Wash in bio, that will "eat" the smoke. How infuriating - I would talk to ebay, because although not mentioned, there is an argument that it wasn't sold fit for purpose. I would also worry if they hid this if it has ever been in an accident before and they've not mentioned it.

Ooh, cross posted w Coops! She is right.

thanks both. the listing said never been involved in an accident- that is one of the first things i look for in a listing. i just forgot about the 'smoke-free' thing to check for as well...

i only considered second hand for a car seat when i sold my own excellent condition seat for dc1 a year ago and got nowhere near what we paid for it :( so i realised there are great bargains to be had if you look hard enough!

tbh its like brand new. the seller said she's disabled so cant lift the car seat out of the car, she used to put the baby in and out from the car. so there are absolutely no scuffs at all.

if i used bio do i then need to wash in non bio after? as aren't all baby items meant to be washed in non bio?

many thanks.

the listing said never been involved in an accident- that is one of the first things i look for in a listing.

But how do you know that is the truth? Sorry but I would buy a new one.

In order to get rid of the smell, do the following:

1- attatch all parts together as they should be
2- get rid of car seat
3- buy brand new one

The maxi cosi also says the plastics are only good for 5 years. For this reason and also you have no idea if it's been an accident, I would not buy a second hand one from someone I don't know. Even a minor accident writes off a carseat. It's safety for your precious little one, and you never know of it performs until you really need it.

thanks everyone. i guess its an individual choice you make weighing up the risks, its certainly not illegal to buy second hand, and its not something i went into blindly. didn't want to start a debate about the pros and cons of second hand car seats, just wanted to know how to remove the smell that's all :)

BTW I have sold a second hand car before where I said it ha never been in an accident when it has been in loads with only bumper problems. (It was my first car and I was a teenager. We start driving at 15 in NZ). One accident was bad enough that the bonnet cover no longer stayed shut. However I wasn't lying in the sense that the engine and the main chassis of the car was never damaged and I was selling a bomb anyway. In other words, none of the accident was severe enough that I was in any danger.

You never know what the other person mean by no accident iyswim. Now I'd have written off the car seat if I was in the same accidents.

You have no idea how safe the seat is, even if they're being truthful about there being no accidents you have no idea if it's been damaged in another way, how it's been stored, anything.

I truly believe it should be illegal to sell used car seats.

I am currently 28 weeks pg with my first and one of the things my mw stressed when buying things for the baby that a car seat should be brand new and never to buy second hand.

I am currently waiting for our pram and car seat travel system to be delivered this morning..excited..

Good luck.

x