April 2007
Shopping-cart covers
Shopping-cart covers--decorative fabric or disposable plastic covers that fit over the seat of a shopping cart--are designed
to shield children 6 months to 3 years of age from illness-causing germs innocently transferred to the cart by other shoppers,
or by children who’ve touched or gnawed the handle or sat in the seat with a leaky diaper.
Cart covers have been around for a few years, but now, due to growing demand, they’ve really come into the mainstream. Much of their appeal stems from the general protectiveness you feel as a parent. The last thing you want is for your baby to get sick; even a stuffy nose can make him miserable. A cart cover can protect him from some of the bacteria and viruses he’s exposed to every day.
Still, as fashionable as these products have become, you shouldn’t consider them a must-have. There is no evidence that they reduce the incidence of colds and flu, and getting sick when you’re a kid is part of the job description. “We all enter this world with an inexperienced immune system,” says Charles Shubin, M.D., director of pediatrics at Mercy FamilyCare in Baltimore. Slowly, children strengthen their immune systems by battling germs, viruses, and other organisms.
Shopping-cart covers are part of the growing “germ defense” niche in the baby product industry. Besides cart covers, you’ll now find disposable changing pads, toilet seat covers, disposable placemats, and combination bibs/placemats designed to help keep little hands on--not under--the table when you’re dining on the go.
Even if shopping-cart covers cut down the number of infections your child picks up, simple hand-washing would suffice, says Amy Guiot, M.D., a pediatrician with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Ohio. “There are certainly germs on shopping carts, but as long as you wash your child’s hands with hand sanitizer or a disposable baby wipe in the car, or wash them when you get home, you’ve accomplished the same thing. In fact, diligent hand washing is one of the most effective things parents can do, even themselves, to keep everybody healthy.” And these days, many supermarkets supply sanitizing wipes so you can give the cart handle and seat a quick cleaning when you walk in. In our opinion, that’s another reason to put shopping-cart covers in the “optional” category.
SHOPPING SECRETS
Think about where you’ll use the cover. Shopping carts come in different sizes and shapes. If you decide you need one, be sure the one you buy suits the type of cart you’ll use most often. Some brands specify right on the package which type of carts they fit. But if they don’t, ask the salesperson for specifics, such as: “Does this shopping-cart cover fit the double-seater cart at Costco?” (Some cart covers are oversize; they’re made for the double-seaters found at warehouse clubs.) Keep your receipt and know the store’s return policy just in case it doesn’t work out.
Check for coverage. If your main concern is “germ defense,” look for a cart cover that encases the entire seating area--the handlebar, sides, back, and front.
Consider comfort. Cleanliness aside, shopping-cart covers can make for a cozy ride. If that’s important to you, look for a deluxe model, which usually has extra cushioning and maybe even an attachable pillow.
Look for a safety belt. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in 2005 (the most recent statistics available), more than 24,000 children were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for shopping-cart related injuries; more than 93 percent of those children were under age 5. Shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to young children. Most injuries occurred when a child fell out of a shopping-cart seat, the cart tipped over, the child became trapped in the cart, or the child fell while riding on the outside of the cart. Most often, these young climbers fall out of the cart because the safety restraint was missing or not used. Since the cart cover you buy probably will override the built-in safety belt on the shopping-cart seat, be sure to buy a cover that has its own durable safety belt--one that’s easy to use, so you’ll be more likely to strap your baby in every time.
Check for ease. Before you buy, find out how the cover attaches to the cart--with Velcro, a buckle, or elastic. Since inserting a cart cover while holding your baby will be a challenge, you’ll want to be able to do it quickly with one hand. Some brands claim their covers can be installed in 30 seconds. Read the instructions before you buy. Once you buy the cover, try it out at home so you’ll know exactly what to do in the store. The cover also should be easy to store in your car.
WHAT’S AVAILABLE
Shopping-cart covers run from basic to high-end, ranging in price from $9.99 (for a three-pack of disposable cart covers) to $65 for double-seater fabric covers with added features. Major brands are, in alphabetical order: Baby a la cart (www.babyalacart.com), Buggy Baggs (www.buggybaggs.com), Cart Comforter by Little Peanuts Products (www.cartcomforter.com), Clean Shopper by Baby Ease (www.cleanshopper.com), Floppy Seat (www.floppyseat.com), and Infantino (www.infantino.com). You can also order custom-made cart covers online with such extras as monogramming or squeakers for baby-amusing sound effects.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A shopping-cart cover isn’t necessary to protect your baby from bacteria and viruses. In our opinion, this product is purely optional. What has been proven to guard against spreading germs is ordinary hand-washing, so help your baby wash her hands often with soap and water, hand sanitizer or disposable baby wipes. Pay particular attention to her hygiene before and after each meal and after she plays outside, handles pets, blows her nose, uses the bathroom, and arrives home from day care, or anyplace else, for that matter. When you’re out, carry disposable wipes or hand sanitizer with you for quick cleanups.
If you decide to get a shopping-cart cover, buy one with a safety belt and use the belt every time you shop. If germ protection is your main concern, go with a basic, low-end model that offers 100 percent cart seat coverage (no exposed metal or plastic).
Cart covers have been around for a few years, but now, due to growing demand, they’ve really come into the mainstream. Much of their appeal stems from the general protectiveness you feel as a parent. The last thing you want is for your baby to get sick; even a stuffy nose can make him miserable. A cart cover can protect him from some of the bacteria and viruses he’s exposed to every day.
Still, as fashionable as these products have become, you shouldn’t consider them a must-have. There is no evidence that they reduce the incidence of colds and flu, and getting sick when you’re a kid is part of the job description. “We all enter this world with an inexperienced immune system,” says Charles Shubin, M.D., director of pediatrics at Mercy FamilyCare in Baltimore. Slowly, children strengthen their immune systems by battling germs, viruses, and other organisms.
Shopping-cart covers are part of the growing “germ defense” niche in the baby product industry. Besides cart covers, you’ll now find disposable changing pads, toilet seat covers, disposable placemats, and combination bibs/placemats designed to help keep little hands on--not under--the table when you’re dining on the go.
Even if shopping-cart covers cut down the number of infections your child picks up, simple hand-washing would suffice, says Amy Guiot, M.D., a pediatrician with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Ohio. “There are certainly germs on shopping carts, but as long as you wash your child’s hands with hand sanitizer or a disposable baby wipe in the car, or wash them when you get home, you’ve accomplished the same thing. In fact, diligent hand washing is one of the most effective things parents can do, even themselves, to keep everybody healthy.” And these days, many supermarkets supply sanitizing wipes so you can give the cart handle and seat a quick cleaning when you walk in. In our opinion, that’s another reason to put shopping-cart covers in the “optional” category.
SHOPPING SECRETS
Think about where you’ll use the cover. Shopping carts come in different sizes and shapes. If you decide you need one, be sure the one you buy suits the type of cart you’ll use most often. Some brands specify right on the package which type of carts they fit. But if they don’t, ask the salesperson for specifics, such as: “Does this shopping-cart cover fit the double-seater cart at Costco?” (Some cart covers are oversize; they’re made for the double-seaters found at warehouse clubs.) Keep your receipt and know the store’s return policy just in case it doesn’t work out.
Check for coverage. If your main concern is “germ defense,” look for a cart cover that encases the entire seating area--the handlebar, sides, back, and front.
Consider comfort. Cleanliness aside, shopping-cart covers can make for a cozy ride. If that’s important to you, look for a deluxe model, which usually has extra cushioning and maybe even an attachable pillow.
Look for a safety belt. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, in 2005 (the most recent statistics available), more than 24,000 children were treated in U.S. hospital emergency rooms for shopping-cart related injuries; more than 93 percent of those children were under age 5. Shopping carts are among the leading causes of head injuries to young children. Most injuries occurred when a child fell out of a shopping-cart seat, the cart tipped over, the child became trapped in the cart, or the child fell while riding on the outside of the cart. Most often, these young climbers fall out of the cart because the safety restraint was missing or not used. Since the cart cover you buy probably will override the built-in safety belt on the shopping-cart seat, be sure to buy a cover that has its own durable safety belt--one that’s easy to use, so you’ll be more likely to strap your baby in every time.
Check for ease. Before you buy, find out how the cover attaches to the cart--with Velcro, a buckle, or elastic. Since inserting a cart cover while holding your baby will be a challenge, you’ll want to be able to do it quickly with one hand. Some brands claim their covers can be installed in 30 seconds. Read the instructions before you buy. Once you buy the cover, try it out at home so you’ll know exactly what to do in the store. The cover also should be easy to store in your car.
WHAT’S AVAILABLE
Shopping-cart covers run from basic to high-end, ranging in price from $9.99 (for a three-pack of disposable cart covers) to $65 for double-seater fabric covers with added features. Major brands are, in alphabetical order: Baby a la cart (www.babyalacart.com), Buggy Baggs (www.buggybaggs.com), Cart Comforter by Little Peanuts Products (www.cartcomforter.com), Clean Shopper by Baby Ease (www.cleanshopper.com), Floppy Seat (www.floppyseat.com), and Infantino (www.infantino.com). You can also order custom-made cart covers online with such extras as monogramming or squeakers for baby-amusing sound effects.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A shopping-cart cover isn’t necessary to protect your baby from bacteria and viruses. In our opinion, this product is purely optional. What has been proven to guard against spreading germs is ordinary hand-washing, so help your baby wash her hands often with soap and water, hand sanitizer or disposable baby wipes. Pay particular attention to her hygiene before and after each meal and after she plays outside, handles pets, blows her nose, uses the bathroom, and arrives home from day care, or anyplace else, for that matter. When you’re out, carry disposable wipes or hand sanitizer with you for quick cleanups.
If you decide to get a shopping-cart cover, buy one with a safety belt and use the belt every time you shop. If germ protection is your main concern, go with a basic, low-end model that offers 100 percent cart seat coverage (no exposed metal or plastic).
