You know your car gets hot in the summer, and you know that there are several things— kids and pets, for example — you simply shouldn’t leave in a hot car. However, you may not know there are many other things you shouldn’t leave in your car as the temperature rises. Check out some of the most surprising items you should take with you when you leave the car.
Medication
If you’re like many Americans, you probably have a stash of medications in your vehicle. From prescription meds to over-the-counter items such as Tylenol, many people try to keep medication on hand as often as possible. The problem is that the molecular structure of medications changes when you leave it in extremely hot temperatures. If you leave your medication in the car during the summer, it may become less effective or even lose all potency. In some cases, the heat can change the medication to such a degree that it affects you in strange ways.
Bottles of Water
When it’s hot outside, it is tempting to have water in the car. However, if you leave plastic bottles of water in the car, you may end up with several problems. First, the water gets hots, and who wants to drink hot water? However, the bigger problem is that when plastic bottles get hot, they start to break down. While it’s unappealing to drink hot water when you’re already warm, it’s even more unappealing when you realize you could be drinking bits of plastic and the chemicals used to make the bottles.
Electronic Devices
Have you ever been tempted to leave your camera, phone, or portable DVD player in the car? While it seems easier to just leave these items in the vehicle for a few hours, it’s not a good idea. Most manufacturers of electronic devices state their products are rated up to 113 degrees. In the summer, your car can easily top 130 degrees, which is significantly above and beyond the average rating. Unless you want your devices melting or simply not turning on the next time you want to use them, make sure to take them with you when you get out of the car.
Pens
Are you one of the many people who leave pens in their car for emergency writing needs? If so, you need to reconsider. Put your pens in a travel bag you take with you everywhere, rather than leaving them in the car. When a pen gets too hot, it may burst, getting ink everywhere. Don’t put your upholstery through the trauma of an exploded pen. Keep ink out of your hot car this summer.
Make sure to clean your car out before you leave it. Leaving any of these items, and many others, in a hot car ends only in disaster. From meltdowns to explosions and changes in molecular structure, the heat your car experiences is simply too much for most day-to-day products. Stay safe by keeping everything possible out of the car on a hot summer day.
Image by Bradley Gordon via Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)
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