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Original poster

Reusing car seat from first child

25 replies

SaltySeaBird · 08/02/2016 20:43

Inspired by the what would you buy second hand thread, I'm wondering what you would reuse from a previous child.

DC2 is due in four weeks and we've done nothing so far as "it's all in the loft".

I was planning on ordering a new mattress for the Moses basket and cot, plus buying new sheets.

I was going to reuse the car seat. DD is three so it's not that old but has been in the loft two years and has some surface mould. We brought it new. I can detach all the fabric and wash it - but should we be buying a new one?

I'm likely to be made redundant while on maternity leave and only get SMP so trying to make savings where I can.

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Cloudybutwarm · 08/02/2016 20:45

I did. As far as I'm aware the advice against 2nd hand car seats is because you can't be sure they haven't been in an accident - and if you've owned it since new then that's not an issue!

LaContessaDiPlump · 08/02/2016 20:45

I'd be tempted to get a new one tbh. It's overkill, but when they are so small....

LaContessaDiPlump · 08/02/2016 20:46

I reused ours and it has gone off to be used for 3rd and now 4th babies, but no mould in our case; that's the bit I'd worry about.

Passthecake30 · 08/02/2016 20:48

I did, and then handed it to a relative. I know it wasn't involved in any accidents.

stargirl1701 · 08/02/2016 20:49

We bought a new mattress for the crib. And, that was it. Reused everything else. Didn't seem very eco friendly to buy new.

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2016 20:50

I did, then gave it to a friend. It hadn't been in any accidents.

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2016 20:51

The only thing DC2 got new was a mattress. I hummed and haa-ed about it, but when I went to get it out of the lift, it was mouldy.

BikeRunSki · 08/02/2016 20:52

Loft, not lift.

boobyooby · 08/02/2016 20:53

There is usually a date stamped on car seats to say when they are able to be used until ... something to do with plastic degradation or suchlike (I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will be along to explain properly)

AveEldon · 08/02/2016 20:55

the manufacturers claim car seats degrade after 8-10 years but they say the same in the USA and they have much more extreme temperate variations than the UK so I'm a bit dubious about it

VimFuego101 · 08/02/2016 20:57

If it was well within expiry date I would use it. If it was close to expiring I would just get a new one. The only other thing I would insist on buying new is a cot mattress.

stitch10yearson · 08/02/2016 20:58

I used my first baby car seat for all 3 of my children and then gave to my sil for her baby. Why would I throw it away? I knew it hadnt been in any car accidents.
the second stage car seat wasnt used quite as prolifically, but thats because I needed 2 of the same at the same time. I still have a car seat in the garage that is used for the occasional friends child that needs it in my car.
Ds1 is 18, will be turning 19 soon, his little booster that I bought back in 99 is still in use, living in my sisters boot for when she has a child over after school with her kids. If you know that the seat hasnt been damaged in a car accident, then why on earth would you throw it away?

Artioo2 · 09/02/2016 13:00

Well, you'd throw it away even if it hasn't been in an accident because manufacturer's guidelines on the life of a car seat are there for a reason - possible degradation of plastics, foam etc over time. Older car seats also may not conform to current safety standards.

The seat looks fine and shows no issues in normal circumstances sitting quietly in the car with a child in it, of course, but that's not the actual job of a car seat. Its job is to protect a child from the impact and extreme stresses of a car accident. If a seat has never been under those stresses, you have no idea how it will perform after a decade and a half. It might be fine, it might not.

I am happily going to reuse DS's car seat this time round because it's only 4 years old, but I would not use one that was beyond the manufacturer's recommended life.

Junosmum · 09/02/2016 14:31

I wouldn't bother with new sheets, I'd just put them on a hot wash.

As for the car seat, though it should beware for 5years it depends on your loft- are there big variations on temperature as that can affect the plastic and cause it to deteriorate. I'd personally not be too happy about using something with mould on it but as long as it washes out the fabric and isn't on the padding it might be ok.

Original poster

SaltySeaBird · 09/02/2016 18:21

Thanks everyone. The car seat is three and a half years old and aside from some surface mould on the fabric looks fine. We do have a sheepskin liner that covers it so I will try it on a hot wash and see how it comes up and then have a think about whether I'm happy to use it.

It seems so wasteful to bin it and money is far from being no object and at £100 I'd prefer to not buy a new one if it is okay.

OP posts:

PickledLilly · 09/02/2016 18:32

I know everyone says you shouldn't re-use mattresses and I can see why not if they have been stored in the loft and might be mouldy but what about ones that are still in use and haven't been stored? Surely they're ok? DD has a cot bed so she's still sleeping on it, she's not had any sick/wee/poo accidents on it that could have made it germy and disgusting and it has been in use so never stored. I can't see any reason to not buy her a single and move the next one straight into her old bed with the sides back on?

PickledLilly · 09/02/2016 18:33

Car seat is another issue all together as it has been stored in our damp utility and the straps are all mouldy and disgusting. I took the covers off to store them so they're fine but I'm wary about using it because the straps look rank.

Runningupthathill82 · 09/02/2016 18:57

I reused the car seat from DC1, just washed the covers. Will be reusing the cot mattress too.

Trinpy · 09/02/2016 19:01

Ours went a bit mouldy in the attic too but it came out fine on a hot wash. I'm reusing everything from dc1 for this baby apart from mattresses and anything that's looking worn out/stained.

wonkylegs · 09/02/2016 19:06

I checked out the guidance on the manufacturers website (mine was maxi cosi) and it says it's fine as long as you can guarentee its not been in an accident (which as its been ours all that time I know it hasn't), mine had been stored in a dry storage cupboard in the garage so was a bit dusty but has cleaned up nicely.

dementedpixie · 09/02/2016 19:55

I reused the car seat and the cot and mattress as the mattress had a removable washable cover and the underneath was waterproof and could be cleaned

BasinHaircut · 09/02/2016 20:02

Mould? No I wouldn't. As someone says up thread it's probably being over cautious but even if you want to save money but any small defect with something like a car seat it a mattress and it's worth however much it costs. I think corners can be cut in lots of other ways

ThereIsIron · 09/02/2016 20:16

We used the same seats for all 3 DCs - 8 year gap between eldest and youngest.

imwithspud · 09/02/2016 20:34

We bought new mattresses for moses basket and cot. IMO it's not worth the risk. Other things we bought new were a pushchair and car seat, although that was more because the pushchair we had for dd1 just wasn't practical and we needed something which was more suited to our needs (old one got sold on in good nick), and it just so happened that the new one came with a car seat.

VagueIdeas · 09/02/2016 20:37

Of course I did. It'd been in storage for over 2.5 years.

I took off the cover and machine washed it. It was fine!

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