My 90-year old wife, for whom I care at home, is now in a rented Medicare wheelchair. She is doubly incontinent, wears diapers 24/7, but still leaves urine and feces stains on the seat of the wheelchair. Vinegar and baking soda do not suffice to clean the seat of the wheelchair. Bleach is out of the question. Any recommendations?
Put chux pads under her.
First, are you certain the seat cover doesn't come off?
If not I would treat this like any other upholstered chair, try an enzyme cleaner meant for pets like nature's miracle stain and odour remover, if you have access to a steam vacuum or just a shop vac you can use that to suck up any excess solution.
And definitely use washable or disposable pads to keep this from recurring.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=chux+pads&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-vqWsf3j9AIVE25vBB3r6gWcEAAYAiAAEgIYbfD_BwE&hvadid=153740473345&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9019596&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=5277696063792157259&hvtargid=kwd-1131733668&hydadcr=3059_9553178&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_54d5ydtpwx_e
As for existing stains on the seat, I find stain removers like "Shout" very helpful. You leave them on for a bit, then wash and rinse the way you usually do. It may take a few applications but stains will lighten considerably or even be eliminated.
I wondered if they just wheeled it into the shower and cleaned/sanitized it there. The whole shower would be sanitized afterwards. This wheelchair did not have any towels or pads on it and was pretty horrifying.
Perhaps for home use, a sturdy plastic "shower chair" (sold by medical supply stores) could be kept in the bathroom and the patient transferred to and from a wheelchair.
There are several good cleaning/odor control on Amazon. I use Odoban - it works very well, and is used in institutional settings. I also use it in my laundry, on floors, etc.
I got a good wheelchair seat pad with a removable, washable cover. The gel pad can be cleaned (and try wrapping it in a thick trash compactor type trash bag), and the cover popped in the washer. It also makes the chair much more comfortable for the user! You might also try putting a soft bath towel
over the seat. Good luck!
There are several good cleaning/odor control on Amazon. I use Odoban - it works very well, and is used in institutional settings. I also use it in my laundry, on floors, etc.
I got a good wheelchair seat pad with a removable, washable cover. The gel pad can be cleaned (and try wrapping it in a thick trash compactor type trash bag), and the cover popped in the washer. It also makes the chair much more comfortable for the user! You might also try putting a soft bath towel
over the seat. Good luck!
To clean the chair, I have had great success with a product that my vet recommended (yes, I said vet - she kindly listened to me at one of our appointments and then suggested this). It isn't cheap, but it is very effective (and after using it to clean the stain and odor, I wipe down the surface with a Clorax wipe to disinfect it)- I have used it on not only my mother's wheelchair, but also on her recliner, the carpet, the mattress, towels....anywhere there are stains from bodily functions. (and yes, it also works great for pets as well). The product is called The Equalizer and can be purchased on Amazon.
These are cheaper than the puppy pads someone recommended.
I also have several washable large cotton pads with a vinyl backing for bed or recliner.
I found all products at Amazon.
To clean a wheelchair cushion, spray it with some plain regular Lysol cleaner and use Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. This will take care of the smell and the stains.