Mom has car seat solution

Washable cover makes cleaning easier

Tricia Perry of Henderson puts her daughter Jillian into a car seat as she demonstrates her invention, the Seat Angel. The Seat Angel covers the car seat and can be removed for cleaning without moving the car seat. JACOB KEPLER/VIEW Advertisement

Stay-at-home mom Tricia Perry of Henderson never set out to be an inventor, but after developing a product designed to help maintain safety standards and make the lives of mothers everywhere a little bit easier, that's exactly what she became.

Perry is the inventor of Seat Angel, a child's car-seat cover designed to fit snugly around the car seat and help prevent the spread of bacteria and germs.

"The idea is really simple, actually," Perry said. "There's no special retardant for germs on the material. It's simply that it's very easy to slide over the seat, and it's washable. You won't have to struggle with getting the seat in and out to clean it. No more worries about having to clean it by hand and not getting all the bacteria off. No more worries about having to tote it in and out of your car. This invention makes life much easier for moms, who today are more stressed and busier than ever."

According to statistics gathered by the American Board of Pediatrics, four out of five car seats are improperly installed.

"That's daunting," Perry said. "It's sort of the idea that car seats are really hard to install correctly. That's part of what sparked this idea for me. Having to take the seat out to clean it when one of my girls spilled something, or got sick, made me think about if I was reinstalling the seat correctly. That's the beauty of Seat Angel. No more worries about taking the seat in and out, or incorrect installation. You just take the cover off, wash it, dry it and reapply it."

Perry encourages parents to visit a car-seat installation station to ensure that the seat is installed correctly.

"If you have the seat installed and use the Seat Angel, you have peace of mind of knowing that your child is protected from accidents of every kind," Perry said. "There are other products out there that are very similar to my invention. But mine is unique in the sense that you don't have to take apart the seat to put it on. You simply slip it over and pull the tethering and belts through. I've also ensured the child's comfort by making the device four layers thick. It's like a lounge chair for your child."

Moms like Kayla Masscarri of southeast Las Vegas can identify with Perry's reasoning.

"I'm always worried about whether or not I have my little boy's car seat installed correctly," Masscarri said. "But I haven't gone to have it checked because I'm constantly having to take it out for one reason or another, usually because he's made a mess, and reinstall it. I think this invention is ingenious."

Dawn Hienberger of south Las Vegas said she gave up on cleaning her 2-year-old son's car seat long ago.

"Even with a lot of the other seats on the market, they're too hard to get on and off," Hienberger said. "I had my car seat installed by a professional, so I don't take it out for any reason. With a lot of those covers, you have to take the thing apart to get the cover on. So, I opted not to. I've just tried to spot clean the seat until now. I think Seat Angel will be an asset to moms everywhere."

The Seat Angel costs about $89.95 and can be custom made to fit any size car seat. For information, visit www.seatangel.com.