What do you do with all the food mess your LO creates in a public highchair?

[ILikeYourSleeves]

I was just wondering this as more often than not my DS leaves a huge mess of crumbs, cheese, bits of crust, blobs of food, veggies etc smeared all over the tray and seat when we are out and he is in a highchair in a cafe / restaurant. I put a muslin round his lap to catch most of it but inevitably food still lands on the floor and gets smeared around. I usually try to pick up the obvious bits of food and wipe the tray but my pal with same age DS says she never does that and leaves the mess behind. What do you do???

I have to say I dont always clean the floor but I always give the tray a wipe down with babywipes and leave the wipes and debris on a used plate although I tend to wipe everything down before DS eats as well as I dont necessarily trust that the highchair will have been cleaned properly previously. To me the staff are paid to cater for and clean up after adults not small children who make 10x as much mess therefore it isnt right/fair to just leave it. I do agree with a previous poster though that if we have had appaling service I dont always clean up that well but thats just me!

I clear up the highchair tray and floor beneath. It's over and above the waitress's job and it looks scummy.
I wonder would your friend take the same stance if someone's baby left all that mess in her house?

I always clear it up. The only time I didn;t was in the ikea resturant and there was already food everywhere, children running all over the place (school hols). It wouldn't have made an awful amount of difference if I had.

I clean it all up with wipes, napkins tc. then bundle it up in a nappy bag and bin it or take it home. I always take a flannel in a freezer bag and use that to give hands and face a good wipe.

I had lunch with a friend with a 5 month old recently and she was super impressed that we could go from carnage to calm in about 5 minutes!

i am a waitress and hate it when people don't tidy up the high chair. i don't expect them to wipe it or anything but it would be nice if they could put any left over, half chewed and dribbled all over food off the highhchair and floor onto one of their used plates.

i did wonder if i was being unreasonable about this but it seems not.

There is this. Addresses the germs issue too, if you can be bothered / remember.

I clear everything up. If it has got really messy, then I'll sometimes ask for a dustpan and brush to do the floor properly. Of course some staff refuse to let you, but I think its only proper to offer.

Never touch the floor but I do clean the highchair and table

When DD2 was in the early stages of feeding herself I carried a packet of Milton Wipes for the highchair before and after, and a plastic floor mat (about 90p from Morrisions) to catch most of the spills.

I would never give a guest a dustpan and brush but it is nice for them to offer. I do think they should pick up any larger bits of food off the floor though.

Tidy up as much as practical and leave a tip if there is a big mess.