Your car is not a closet, a cooler, or a storage unit with wheels. Even the trunk, which may feel out of sight and out of mind, isn’t immune to temperature swings or curious thieves. In fact, during the warmer months, the interior of a parked vehicle can become a mobile oven. And in winter, it turns into a freezer with seatbelts.
Whether it’s a quick stop at the grocery store or sitting for days, certain items should always come with you when you get out. Here’s what you should never leave behind, trunk included.
Medications
Hot weather can reduce the effectiveness of many medications. Over time, common painkillers and prescriptions lose potency and could pose health risks. It’s safest to bring them inside with you, especially if they’re temperature-sensitive.
Electronics
If you’ve recently flown on an airplane, you’ve probably heard the urgent request from the flight attendant asking you to remove rechargeable batteries from the overhead bins. The same risk applies to your car, too. Phones, tablets, laptops…anything with a battery is vulnerable to heat damage and potential fire risk. High temperatures can warp internal components and drain your battery life for good. Even worse, they’re top targets for theft. Don’t give a thief an easy win.
Cosmetics and glasses
Lip balm, sunscreen, and makeup melt into a mess inside a hot car. Sunscreen can degrade and lose effectiveness, which kind of defeats the purpose. Prescription glasses and sunglasses can also suffer. Extreme temperatures may warp the frame or cause the lens coatings to peel or bubble.
Food and drinks left in a car can make you sick
If you keep leftovers in your car, think twice. This is super gross, but the FDA notes that bacterial growth can double every 20 minutes at room temperature, making food stored in a car downright dangerous. If it needs refrigeration, it doesn’t belong in your vehicle. Extreme heat ruins both taste and safety. Soda cans can explode, for instance. At best, you’re inviting a stinky mess. At worst, you’re risking foodborne illness.
Art supplies and musical instruments
If you’re an artist or musician, treat your tools and gear with replacement expenses in mind. Heat and cold can warp, crack, or melt your tools. Crayons and paints will break down. Wooden instruments like guitars or violins can suffer permanent damage if exposed to fluctuating temperatures or high humidity.
Keep aerosols and lighters out of your car
Pressurized cans and heat are a classic bad pairing. These can crack, leak, or even explode when stored in a hot car. Lighters fall into the same risk category. In a worst-case scenario, they can even spark a fire.
Wallets, cash, and credit cards
Visible valuables invite thieves. Beyond heat damage, loose money or cards left in the open are basically an open invitation. It’s an easy fix: keep them on your body, not in your glove box or console.
Plastic water bottles become (more) toxic after sitting in a hot car
You might think you’re doing yourself a favor by keeping an emergency bottle in the car, but plastic left in extreme heat can leach chemicals into the water. Worse, the shape of the bottle can focus sunlight like a magnifying glass. Yes, car fires have started this way. If you want backup hydration, use an insulated stainless steel bottle instead.
People and pets
Even on a mild day, your car can heat up fast. The NHTSA says that in 60-degree weather, a vehicle’s interior can rise to a dangerous 110 degrees. Never leave kids, elderly folks, or pets inside, no matter how quick your errand is.
Cars are great for getting you where you need to go, but they’re a terrible place to store anything that’s valuable, perishable, or explosive. Even your trunk heats up just like the rest of the car. When in doubt, bring it inside. If you’re trying to stay safe, protect your health, and avoid replacing melted chapstick or warped sunglasses, it pays to do a quick sweep every time you park.
