Why Do Strollers Expire? Everything You Must Know About It
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Strollers are a must-have addition when you run into parenthood. So if you want the best for your kid, you need to have all the information to keep your kid protected; it includes the usability and durability of the stroller.
But why do baby strollers expire? Generally, baby strollers do not have an actual expiration date like other baby essentials. But the strollers will get worse over time. It all depends on the usage and maintenance. If you don’t ensure proper maintenance, the stroller will expire sooner than expected.
Why Do Strollers Expire?
There are specific reasons why your baby stroller may go bad before you expect it. Now we will have a look into the reasons:
1. You Don’t Ensure Proper Maintenance
You have to make sure of the correct maintenance of the stroller not only for your kid but also to make it long-lasting. The typical maintenance approaches include cleaning it from time to time, cleaning the fabrics, and checking up the wheels, metal area, and plastic falls into the maintenance process.
When you do not clean the stroller for a long time, it will accumulate dirt. Also, the metal will be rusted if it comes in contact with water and you don’t take care of the situation. Thus this may ruin the stroller for your baby.
2. The Stroller Got Crashed Into Something
When your stroller crash into a hard wall or tree, it will ruin or break it. If you are not careful enough, it can happen. This will lead to an instant breakage, ruining the wheels and the body.
3. It Got Drenched In Water
If you keep the stroller outside, it may get drenched by the water. As strollers contain metal areas, the metal may get rusted if it comes in contact with water. When the stroller comes in contact with water, and you don’t dry it off quickly, it will get rusted and cause breakages in the metal areas.
4. You Have Not Used It For A While
When babies go old, we don’t need a stroller to carry them around. So if the stroller has been kept still for a long time, it’s more likely to be affected by molds, dirt, and rust.
Therefore, you can no longer use the stroller as it will not be in the condition to use it like before. The wheels may also get stuck when you have made it sit still for longer than six months.
How To Take Care Of A Baby Stroller?
Maintenance is the core key to keeping the stroller running for longer than expected. If you don’t want to ruin the stroller before your kid grows up, we will share a few tips to make it go for an extended period.
1. Fabric Maintenance
As the stroller’s root part is made of fabrics, you need to ensure that they do not accumulate dirt. To do so, you must clean the fabric once a week using compatible soap. All you have to do is just remove the fabric portion from the stroller and wash it.
Tip: Make sure that the soap you will be using is good to go with the fabric and does not contain bleach.
After cleaning the fabric part, make sure that you dry it off properly. But do not use a dryer; it may ruin the quality of the fabric.
If your stroller has eco-leather parts, wipe the fabric using a damp cloth and mild detergent. Then keep it under natural air to dry it off.
Another way is to brush off any dirt whenever you use the stroller. Every time you use it, it may collect dirt from the environment. So if you handle the situation instantly, you won’t have to spend extra hours when it gets too dirty to clean.
Tip: Do not leave the stroller under direct sunlight or too much heat; it will ruin the color of the fabric portion. Also, keep the stroller away from rain or snow as it will cause mold to grow there.
2. Frame Maintenance
The frame is another vital thing that requires maintenance in your baby’s stroller. To take care of the stroller’s frame, you need to clean it after every ride. Here’s how to clean the frame:
- Prepare lukewarm water and mix detergent with it
- Take a cloth and dip it in the water
- Now take the damp cloth and clean the frame
- Afterward, use another cloth to dry off the frame
You have to keep the frame away from heat and rain. Rainwater will cause rust in the stroller’s frame leading it to breakage. Also, it will get corrosion if water gets inside of it.
3. Wheels Maintenance
The wheel’s maintenance contains cleaning it after every usage. You can use soapy water to clean the wheels. The stroller wheels are removable, so you can remove and clean the wheels with detergent.
As the wheels run into soil and dirt, they are more likely to get dirty. If you don’t take care of it, the dirt will get stuck and deform the wheels, causing disbalance.
What To Do With Old Strollers?
If you have a stroller that can no longer be used, you can make use of it by other means. Here are a few things you can do with your old stroller:
- You can donate it if it’s still in condition using
- You can recycle the stroller and make something useful out of it
- If the stroller is in a good condition, you can resell it
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are old strollers safe?
Some of the safety standards for strollers are stability, stability, impact, and shoulder-strap safety. So if the old stroller checks all the safety standards, you can buy one. But make sure you don’t buy any broken, rusted, corrosion-affected stroller. Also, check the fabric quality.
Are strollers washable?
Yes, the parts of your baby stroller are washable. You can separate the fabric, wheels, and frame while washing. Washing the stroller falls into the maintenance, so you must wash it at least once a week. Some of the fabrics of the stroller are machine washable, and you can take help of this advantage.
How do you check a used stroller?
The main three areas of concern that you need to check before you buy an old stroller are tires, molds, and alignment. If the wheel alignment is perfect, then most of your work is done. Also, check if there is any breakage in the frame or not.
Wrapping Up
By now, we have explained why strollers expire in detail. Strollers do not necessarily expire, but they go bad if you do not know how to take care of them. As we suggested multiple tips to make your stroller remain perfect for a longer time, hopefully, you can follow it through.
If you want to buy an old stroller, make sure that you are checking all the necessary areas that we mentioned earlier. Also, keep the stroller clean and maintain regular clean-ups every time you use the stroller. Thus you can expect good longevity from the stroller.
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