It’s the first day of summer and that means the sun and heat has officially arrived! That also means taking care of the interior of your vehicle. When your car is parked all day while you’re at work, or even just while you’re in the grocery store; you know it’s going to be hot when you get back in it. If the temperature outside is in the 90s, your vehicle’s interior can reach well beyond 120 degrees Fahrenheit. You may not have thought of this before, but there are certain things that shouldn’t be left in a hot vehicle.
- Wax Items: Seems like a no-brainer right? Just don’t leave a candle to melt, right? Wrong. Items that shouldn’t be left behind include lipstick, chap sticks, sunscreens, lotions, and crayons too. Imagine any of those melting into your upholstery or the carpet, and it’s not a pretty sight.
- Aerosol Cans: These things have warning labels for a reason. When the temperature of a can of say WD-40 or hairspray gets to a certain level, the gasses inside can combust and create an explosion. That’s right, an explosion, inside your vehicle, not to mention the dangerous fumes they can give of too.
- Can Soda: These definitely don’t do well in high temperatures. The carbonation within an unopened can acts as a gas and expands as the temperature heats up; causing an explosion that will leave your interior a sugary mess.
- Gum and Candy: Maybe you’ve thought of this one, because you know how candies melt just in your pocket or in your hand. Now imagine that sticky, gooey, or chocolatey mess in your car seats. Do a check of under
all the seats to make sure a stray treat hasn’t hidden itself away just to make a big mess later. - Dairy Products: Probably an item that you don’t always have in your car anyway, but what if you lose a carton of milk or a yogurt out of your grocery bag one day? Give it a bit in the heat and you’ll know because of the foul odor that will be spread throughout your vehicle. Make sure you have all your items when getting groceries out of your vehicle, and make sure a little one hasn’t dropped or left behind their drink or snack.
Hopefully you’ve never had to clean up a mess made by any of the above, but if you have, you’re probably not alone. As the summer sun and heat increases its intensity keep an eye out for any of these items in your vehicle and prevent a headache later on.
**Note: We’ve written this blog post highlighting the everyday things that can cause a mess in a warm vehicle. We’ve also written this while keeping in mind that it is a basic fact that Children and Animals should NEVER be left in a vehicle unattended.