12 Things You Shouldn't Leave in Your Car This Summer

By Dejan B.. Published on June 17, 2021

Cars get hot in summer and the temperature inside the vehicle can reach 140 degrees in less than two hours. I know that it is convenient to leave a bunch of stuff in the car when you are going to the beach, but you should be aware of the fact that a lot of things can get damaged if exposed to heat. This is why we made a list of all the things you should store somewhere else and not inside your car during the summer season.

Keep your CD's out of the Car when it's Hot

CD's are made from polycarbonate plastic and heat can damage them easily. When I say damage, I mean legit melt them. People also tend to live 45 rpm's inside a vehicle, but that is also dangerous and there were many reports last year who the records got damaged because of the high temperature inside the car.

connecting radio of car

Don't Leave a Disposable Lighter inside a Car

Although disposable lighters are small, they can easily explore in the car if the weather is hot. People usually leave them near the front seat and the explosion can cause the crack in the windshield, which I am sure you want to avoid. There are usually warning labels on disposable lighters where it says how they should never be exposed to heat above 120 degrees. In summer, the temperature inside the car can easily reach 150 degrees, especially if you didn't find parking in the shade.

Smartphones and Heat aren't Best Friends

Most of the modern smartphones will alert you in a case of excessive heat, but once you forget to take your phone out of the car, the trouble starts. The heat inside the car can easily damage the internal battery and leave your mobile device useless.

GPS used with a Smartphone

Make sure that Your Swimwear is Dry

So, you spent a beautiful day on the beach and it's time to pack your things and go home. Just make sure that the swimwear dries up before you pack it inside a hot vehicle. If you leave wet swimwear in your car, it can cause the growth of bacteria in minutes. One of the other downsides is that the smell of wet clothes which were exposed to heat for several hours is quite awful.

Remove Lipstick from your Vehicle

Since lipstick consists of emollients, pigments, and some oils, it melts really fast if it is exposed to high temperatures. Of course, it may cool down eventually, but the traces of the heat will definitely show. The composition of the color changes and you can practically throw the lipstick in the trash.

Crayons and Heat Don't Mix Well

I know that kids love crayons and you will probably do everything you can to keep them entertained during the drive to that holiday resort that is 7-hour ride away but make sure not to leave the crayons inside the car once you reach your destination. A crayon can easily melt when exposed to the heat and can leave serious traces in your car. I mean, there are even tips online on how to wash off the stains, but you really don't want to put yourself in a situation where you need to rub ice cubes to remove the wax.

Chocolate will melt in Minutes

If a candy bar is well-wrapped, it will melt once left inside a car during the summer season. Yes, you can probably put it in the freezer, but if the chocolate which has been unwrapped will make a mess if exposed to heat. If you wish to avoid using tons of liquid dish detergent to remove the stains, keep all chocolate away from the car in summer.

melting chocolate

Glasses can melt in the Sun

Did you know that heat can change the shape of the frames of your glasses? I mean, they can even melt if you leave them in a car during the summer season for a couple of days. Plastic lenses take even less to melt, so make sure to remove glasses from the car if it is super-hot outside.

Plastics Melt Fast

Summer heat is the arch enemy of all plastics. I mean, there are studies that show how drinking water from a plastic bottle that has been left inside a car for a long time can let toxins get inside your body. There are many unfortunate stories about plastic objects that were left in the car during the summer season. There was a girl who left her credit card in the car and the card got super damaged from the heat. The thing is that she was only away for a couple of hours, but the temperature inside her car was probably too high.

Don't leave Groceries in the Car in summer

Well, leaving groceries in a car during the summer season is probably the worst thing you can do. It's not only that groceries like tomatoes will leave a huge stain; you will also have to deal with the smell. Meat and milk are the worst and create an awful smell which is not that easy to get rid of.

Loading groceries in a hot car

Keep your Wine away from the Car

Did you know that the flavor of the wine can be affected if you leave the bottle inside a car during the crazy hot summer season? The worst case scenario is that the heat helps liquid expand and it can even push the cork out a bit, which means that the wine can spill inside your car.

Remove Sunscreen and Medications from the Car

People who are on summer vacations often leave a tube of sunscreen in their car, which is not that good because the sunscreen can explore due to the high temperature inside the vehicle. There have been many reports in the recent years of sunscreens exploding in the car. First of all, it is dangerous, and second of all, your car will probably smell of sunscreen for a long time.

Medications are also not meant to be left in the car and should be kept at room temperature. They can't explode, but the heat can make medications go bad. There are labels on every medicine where you can find information regarding the ideal temperature.

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