Never leave these things in your car:
We tend to forget some things in the car or think keeping them will be a good idea. This article has compiled a list of things to never keep in the car, from food to documents to pets. We will discuss it all.
A significant reason you can't keep some of these items in the car is that temperatures can rapidly change in the vehicle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims that in just 10 minutes, the temperature inside your automobile can rise by as much as 20 degrees. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, on a day with a temperature of 95 degrees, it can reach a whopping 140 degrees after an hour. Naturally, that can harm kids and animals, but it can also cause issues with everything from food to combustible objects.
A friend left a bottle of unopened wine in her car overnight. When she came to her car in the morning, she saw that the wine bottle had broken and had wine all over her back seat. The wine stained her heart; she could never get it out. You can imagine how an innocent wine stain would decrease the value of her car if she decided to sell. Also, she spent a lot of money trying to get the stain out and missed out on a bottle of wine. Extreme temperatures have the potential to damage a variety of objects when left in the heat or cold, in addition to popping corks.
1. Food and Drinks
Like cork-sealed wine bottles, soda cans can cause issues in hot or cold cars. Furthermore, candy bars and ice cream chocolates can quickly melt in the heat and stain your vehicle.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), bacteria that cause illnesses can grow in your food if you leave it in extreme heat, like in your car. So limit the time your groceries stay in the car to an hour.
Also, leaving food and beverages in your car might attract pests like ants or rodents that can harm your car's interior or pose a health risk.
2. Sunscreen
Packing a tube of sunscreen is usually a good idea, but be cautious about leaving the bottle in your car since the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes that exposing sunscreen to high temperatures can reduce its shelf life.
Furthermore, if the heat blows the cap open, your protective SPFs may lose effectiveness and become a huge, stinky mess.
3. Aerosols like hairspray or deodorant
A recommended storage temperature is listed on cans of hairspray, deodorant, spray paint, and similar items. Pressurized cans are susceptible; if exposed to temperatures outside that range, the contents may expand, and the can may shatter or explode. If the can explodes, it can damage something in your car.
4. Lighters
Although lighters are small, they have a powerful punch when heated. When exposed to intense heat, the combustible fuel inside these tiny plastic tubes might expand and break through the lighter's shell, posing a fire risk.
It's debatable if the heat in the car will lead to combustion, but why take a chance? Generally speaking, we advise you not to keep flammable liquids in your vehicle, especially in the summer.
5. Plastic bottles
A viral video from Idaho Power showed that a transparent water bottle inside the car amplified the sun's rays, which began burning the car seat.
Additionally, plastic bottles often contain bisphenol A (BPA), a potentially hazardous substance. BPA is safe, according to the FDA, at the present levels of exposure in food. However, you do not want to risk adding more of this chemical to your beverage because studies have shown that higher temperatures cause a greater release of BPA from plastics.
6. Electronics
Why leave your smartphone in a hot car when you would never consider leaving home without it? Numerous phone manufacturers provide recommended temperature ranges and advise against taking your device in your vehicle, where it may malfunction or begin to sustain damage.
Also, you might need your phone for something urgent. So never leave your phone in the car. Unfortunately, your phone and other devices can also attract thieves to enter your vehicle and steal your devices and your car.
Never leave anything of value in your car, including jewelry, gadgets, cash, and credit cards. This is because if you leave these things out in the open, robbers can come looking for them and break into your automobile.
7. Batteries
Battery manufacturers advise avoiding storing their products in hot environments because doing so might cause leakage or breakage in addition to capacity loss. The CDC section that regulates toxic substances states that battery acid is hazardous when inhaled and highly corrosive, which can be bad news for your health and the interior of your automobile. The best action is to keep acidic objects away from the console and inside your car.
8. Children and Pets
Do not leave your children or pets in the car. The heat might hurt them. Severe heat can cause heat stroke or hypothermia in pets and kids, and even if you leave the AC on, leaving children and pets unattended in your car is always a bad idea.
Leaving kids or pets alone in a car can also be against the law and lead to criminal penalties.
9. Important documents
Never leave your driver's license, passport, social security card, or vehicle registration in your vehicle. These records might be used fraudulently or for identity theft.
10. Medications
Medications should never be left in a car, particularly in hot or cold weather, as these conditions might reduce their effectiveness or cause them to degrade. Some medicines might also appeal to thieves.
In conclusion
Several things can hurt you if you leave them in the car, so it is best not to leave them in the car in the first place. For example, they can affect you health-wise, decrease the value of your vehicle, or cause us to lose your car and other valuables. Therefore, we recommend you empty the trash every time you leave the vehicle and ensure you do not keep these things in your car again.
Also, we advise you to get auto insurance. Anything can happen, but we insure you for less at Tennessee Auto Insurance Agency. Click here to get a quote.
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