Hoarders: Baby Edition.

I think I've finally cracked how to keep the high chair clean. It's quite simple, really.
Get someone else to feed the baby, in their house. Do you think that's a viable option?
Perhaps not.
Before Millie was born we were gifted a second hand Peg Perego Prima Pappa high chair. Beautiful padded seat, set on wheels, a great big tray. Gorgeous.

Mine is a blue/white check model.
image from pegperego.com

Then Millie started eating purees and it was ok. A good wipe afterwards and all seemed well.
As time went on, it turned into Millie swiping the spoon and sending puree flying all over the high chair tray. No biggie.
Then it turned in to 'YOU WILL NOT FEED ME. I DO IT MYSELF.' She can't talk yet, but I know that's what she said. So we give her finger food. I start scrubbing the high chair for a good 5 minutes after every feed to avoid the plague a build up of baby foods. Have you ever scrubbed for 5 minutes? It's a long time, especially if you hate cleaning as much as I do.

I took the padded cover off to give it a scrub and almost expired. It was like Hoarders: Baby Edition under there. Various... stains. A multitude of crumbs. There might have been some avocado stuck in there too. I was horrified. And embarrassed because I spend an inordinate amount of time scrubbing the blessed thing, only to have it look like this? Shame.

Millie's daycarer Kat has this brilliant high chair that has a tray that clips on and off, and I watched her clean that thing in 30 seconds flat. I got to thinking...

Ikea high chair?

Ikea Antilop High Chair.
image from ikea.com

Very nice. Tiny problem. No Ikea in Tasmania. And even worse? Only $20 for a high chair. Hrmph. Want.

I do some research online and find that there's not very many plastic only high chairs around. Millie and I go to Big W to look at high chairs and find that there's not much of a selection there either. I check out Target as well - still no dice. Parents everywhere seem to be of the opinion that Padded and Fancy is better. IT'S A TRICK EVERYONE. DON'T FALL UNDER THE GLORIOUSLY SHINY PADDED SPELL.

I look at the Big W online site and find this little number in an online only sale.

Mother's Choice Geo Grow With Me highchair
image from productreview.com.au

It has two high chair height settings and converts into a toddler chair. Mine for $40 plus delivery. The cover does come off, but it's pretty easy to clean so I've left it on for now. The tray slides on and off too and it super easy to wash with the dishes and leave to dry.
I'm still cleaning it obsessively, because I figure I've started with a clean high chair slate... let's not let it get dirty eh? It works beautifully and Millie seems to sit up a lot straighter in it too. I love it.
Now, the delivery was $16 to my part of the world... but I broke it down justified the crap out of it like this:

• Drive to Hobart - $6 petrol each way
• Pay for parking in the CBD - $5
• Schlep Millie across the CBD - $5 in coffee for me to re energise after carrying the 9kg Millie
• Schlep Millie and the high chair box back to car - $4 in chocolate for me as a reward for carrying the high chair box and Millie
• Drive home with a potentially grumpy baby who may or may not scream for 45 kilometres - priceless

So you see - online shopping is cheaper.

Thus ends my high chair rant of the week.

What sort of high chair do you use? What do you think of it?