Germaphobes....Do you bring a high chair cover w/ you?

[Luvin*Livvy]

I am a HUGE germaphobe..and NEVER leave home without my cart/high chair cover.....BUT we don't have the kind that folds up nicely with a handle, that can be easily put in our luggage..it's more a HUGE clump of fabric I had custom made.

Is it worth it to bring it? Do you ever see these in resturants in WDW?? DO you bring yours? Or should I suck it up and do without it? Or should I go and buy one that folds up?

I get skeeved at the thought...but I KNOW if my husband sees it taking up all the space in the suitcase he will FREAK!

Whats a girl to do?

Thanks!

 

[Hannathy]

If it is for your 2 yr old, won't she be sitting in a booster seat? 2 is pretty old for a high chair IMO. I'm not a germaphobe by any means but when I took my 2 yr old I took nothing and he was fine.

 

[KingsGenie]

They have disposable ones that you can bring. It can get a bit pricy but might help you out.

http://www.cleanshopper.com/index.php?cPath=42

 

[Luvin*Livvy]

In New Jersey, I RARELY see boosters, except the kind that clip to the table and she is too big for those! She still goes in a high chair. At home she sits in a booster, but not at restaurants..not YET!

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I used to bring the high chair cover but mainly because ours has straps that you can put toys on and it secures the baby better. I just have a question though- Do you wash that shopping cart cover everytime you use it? If not then you are just carrying around all the shopping cart germs with you.

 

[Luvin*Livvy]

We usually go to dinner (when we are home) once a week/once every other week, so I DO wash it everytime!

In Disney....I am only going to be there 4 days...so I can deal with washing it when I get home! Besides the germs from the HC are on one side...not on the side my daughter touches or sits in!

 

[ehrn]

I just pack the clorox wipes and give the seat a quick wipe--i try to get to it before dh arrives w/ds and that gives it time to dry. if you bring the cover--what about all the germies now on the cover that you have to schlep around w/you?? I like those tabletoppers too--they give a nice big space for him to play/eat/make a mess...and then you just throw them away! I also buy the disposable "chux" to use as changing pads--I make little disposable diaper packs in zip locks--a diaper, a chux and wipes which are not single use but the little pack of 25 or so that are in the travel section...so easy to throw one in the backpack and toss the dirty diaper and chux--sometimes i'll reuse the chux for the whole day...
at the end of the day SOME germ exposure is actually not a bad thing. but thinking about it just skeeves me a bit...I do what I can w/in reason...

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I can feel your pain, really I can as my son manages to catch every cold bug out there but do you really think in the big scheme of WDW that you are goingt to prevent your baby from touching anything? I would just wipe the highchair down with a wipe (we do this) and not worry about it. I know how hard it is, especially with your first child. I swear I cleaned that child until he shined!

BWT- the germs can still travel to the other side of the fabric.

 

[LilGMom]

Pack some wipes or Lysol disinfecting wipes and just wipe everything down before you put your dd in the seat. While I don't consider myself a "germaphob" I don't like the idea of my baby's hands touching an area where who knows what has been sitting on it or touching it.

 

[katiebsmom]

IF I use a highchair at all (DS usually sits in my lap LOL) I clean it off with wipes then use my high chair cover. I can't stand the thought of all the saliva covered food particals sitting on a high chair tray from Lord knows how many children before mine sits there.

 

[zoomouse]

We are big fans of the clorox wipes too for tabletops and highchairs. We've found them in small travel size packs which are very handy. I've stuck them in a ziploc bag too, but only when I know I'm the only one that will be dipping into the diper bag - don't want the baby's bottom sanitized by a well intentioned relative. The other thing we do in a pinch is just whip out the hand sanitizer and wipe it around with a napkin.

 

[CrzyforPiglet]

Another wipe user here! I have a highchair cover and we probably used it for 2 months and found it to be a bigger pain than anything. Now we just carry wipes with us and use them to wipe down the table and chair and have never had a problem. Good luck!

 

[asktriplets]

we used wipes, too.

i have a question for all of you wipe users (wanted to ask on the last germaphobe thread, but it got shut down before i got around to asking )...

when my kids were younger and put their hands on everything, and then their hands immediately into their mouths, i used the disinfecting hand wipes on table tops, cart handles,etc (potentially getting those chemicals in their mouths was a whole other issue, but i digress).

these days, i often just use a regular baby wipe to limit germ exposure on those same surfaces. anyone know if this is doing ANY good? i don't mind the fact that i'm not killing the germs on contact, i'm just wondering if most germs can get "wiped away" with a swipe of a cloth (i'd prefer using just regular water, but it's not as portable)?

thanks.

 

[tmfranlk]

I don't think I saw this mentioned, but Disney's booster chairs are like like little seats that sit on the table's booth or chair. Kind of like this:
http://www.beta-theta.com/mall/booster-seat-brown-each-booster-seat-brown-each-10138170-ok/

 

[nateryan]

when my kids were younger and put their hands on everything, and then their hands immediately into their mouths, i used the disinfecting hand wipes on table tops, cart handles,etc (potentially getting those chemicals in their mouths was a whole other issue, but i digress).

Pampers makes a santizer spray that is safe around kids. They don't make it in wipes...too bad.
http://us.pampers.com/en_US/products/page/pdt_details/selectedProduct/cleanPlay.do

 

[Luvin*Livvy]

I don't think I saw this mentioned, but Disney's booster chairs are like like little seats that sit on the table's booth or chair. Kind of like this:
http://www.beta-theta.com/mall/booster-seat-brown-each-booster-seat-brown-each-10138170-ok/

YES, those we DO have in NJ...but, I know my daughter and that thing would be on the floor, WITH HER still on it if I put her in it! We tried a few weeks ago, and she is still too little (ALMOST 23 months -- 24 pounds) and when she would reach for something she would tip it over, OR try and climb out...so we still use the High Chairs! This way she can't climb all over us while we are eating!

I will go ahead with the wipes.....and cringe when I put her in it! LOL OR I might bring a thick blanket I can wash when we are done, for her to sit on!

THANKS SO MUCH for all the ideas!!!! I appreciate it..and I appreciate knowing I am NOT alone, and there are others in the world LIKE ME! My husband can't grasp the fact!

 

[amarberry]

I do bring our highchair cover with in our backpack. Our's is pretty compact. I think that it was made by Fisher Price and I got it at Target a while back. Here's the link: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...-3768660?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000E3VL2O. It's made out of a nylon material that drys quickly so I can rinse it out with a little Tide at night. The only problem with it is that it doesn't fit quite right on the plastic highchairs. I think that it is made to fit the wooden ones.

Here's another one that they sell that is similar: http://www.target.com/gp/detail.htm...-3768660?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&asin=B000COWMLO

Nothing grosses me out more than a sticky highchair which seems to be about 90% of the highchairs that are brought out.

 

[Tigger&Aidan]

We put our 2 yr old in a high chair too - which means I can actually eat without having to chase him down! I am a total germaphobe (DS was a preemie, so I always worry about RSV and such), so I'd take clorox wipes or something similar - that way, you don't loose packing space...

 

[jenjersnap]

I am with ya 100% - keep my kids in high chairs as long as I can!

I do bring my Clean Diner with us. It folds up pretty small, enough that I can justify bringing it.. Of course, I also bring the plastic placemat and also clean his area thoroughly before putting those items down. I have to be germ-aware since my middle DS is immune compromised.

I really like the nylon Target option - going to look for that. Seems easier to clean while on the go.

 

[va32h]

Forgive if this sounds like a dumb question, but what does the highchair cover actually cover? I've never seen one.

Wouldn't the child be dressed, and thus no bare skin coming in contact with the highchair? And don't restaurant highchairs just pull right up to the table, so it would be the table that the child would be touching, not the chair?

I guess I am just confused as to where the child would be touching the highchair and picking up these germs.

My youngest is 3, and never liked highchairs (I think she just wanted to be like her big siblings), so I haven't used one in ages. We just wipe the tabletop. I have also seen these disposable placemats that can be stuck on the tabletop.