Everyday Items that Can Go “Pop!” in Your Car During the Summer

Summer is all about having fun under the sun. From beach trips to family cookouts, your days are no doubt spent enjoying the outdoors with your loved ones. However, when you’re out and about, it’s important to never leave certain everyday items in your vehicle.

After just 20 minutes on a hot day, your car’s cabin can quickly turn into a sauna. On an 80° day, your cabin temperature can hit 109℉. Imagine how hot it can get after an hour or however long you plan to stay at the beach. All this heat can quickly turn your essentials into ticking time bombs. Enjoy your summer to the fullest by never, ever leaving these things in your car:

Sunscreen

When it comes to sunscreen, there are two rules you should never forget: always apply an even coat over your exposed skin, and never, ever forget it in your car. During the summer, your cabin can reach temperatures of 158℉ or higher, which can cause the active ingredients in your sunscreen to break down. It’ll lose its effectiveness and, in the worst-case scenario, explode all over your fancy leather seats.

Candy

The summer heat can quickly turn your bag of sweet treats into a sticky hot mess. Chocolates, gum, and other types of candy won’t cause a fire in high temperatures, but when they melt all over your car seats, you’ll still end up with an explosion of color that needs cleaning.

Keep all your treats organized in a bag, so you’re less likely to forget them when you leave your car.

Soda

Is there anything better than drinking a refreshing soda on a hot summer day? A fizzy drink might be the best pick-me-up to counter the blistering heat, but be mindful not to leave it in your car.

High heat can affect the ingredients of carbonated drinks, changing their taste and consistency. Extreme heat can also create pressure inside the container, causing the canned or bottled soda to explode and ruin your car seats.

Latex Gloves

If your emergency kit contains a pair of latex gloves, then you might want to check on them this summer. High heat can melt latex rubber, rendering them useless. They might not explode all over your car seats, but you’re still left with a gooey mess to deal with. They’re also likely to contaminate other supplies in your emergency kit, forcing you to throw these away as well.

Medication

Just like latex gloves, medication won’t necessarily explode in a hot vehicle. However, this doesn’t mean it’s safe to leave in your car this summer. Most medicine should be stored at room temperature, which isn’t something a vehicle parked under the sun can maintain.

Extreme heat can compromise the medicine’s composition and effectiveness. They also don’t come cheap, so it’s best to always bring them with you.

Glasses

Before exiting your vehicle, don’t forget to empty your sunglasses compartment. The last thing you want is for the summer sun to ruin your prescription glasses or designer shades.

Plastic frames and lenses left on the dashboard can melt and leave a dirty mess that’s hard to clean. Metal glasses aren’t safe from the sun either. If the temperature gets hot enough, it can warp the metal frame or make it too hot to touch.

Perfumes

There’s nothing quite like a crisp citrus fragrance to complete a summer outfit, but what started out as your new favorite perfume can quickly turn into a hot sticky mess.

Most perfumes contain a substantial amount of alcohol. When left in a hot car, this alcohol content will most likely evaporate, causing the gas to expand inside the bottle. Not only does this destroy the perfume, it can also cause the bottle to explode.

Lighters

Cigarette lights might be small, but they can be very dangerous if left inside a vehicle during the summer. Under extremely high temperatures, the fluid and gases inside the lighter can expand, causing internal pressure to rise. This causes the lighter to explode, which can burn a hole through your car seats and even hit the windshield.

While some lighters are marketed to withstand up to around 150℉, it’s still not worth the risk. Keep your cigarette lighter in your pocket and away from your car seats.

Power Banks

A power bank can be a lifesaver when you’re out and about with only 2% left on your phone battery, but it can quickly turn into your worst nightmare if stored incorrectly. You’ll find a number of cases around the world where forgotten power banks exploded in a vehicle and burned car seats.

Power banks are basically rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, so they can catch fire if exposed to extreme heat. If you’re thinking about storing a power bank in your car for emergency purposes, think again. The last thing you want is to start a car fire that can harm vehicles and people in the surrounding area.

Aerosol Cans

Check any aerosol can, and you’ll notice it says practically the same thing: Do not store in temperature above 120℉. It doesn’t matter if it’s car polish spray, insecticide, hairspray, or dry shampoo. Aerosol cans should never be left in a vehicle, especially during the summer.

Extreme heat can cause the pressure inside the spray can to increase, and when this pressure exceeds the limit, the can will explode. This can destroy your car’s interior and possibly shoot through your sunroof. In the worst-case scenario, it can even start a fire.