Summer might be over a month away still, but in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s already getting hot outside in North Central Washington…and it’s about to get even hotter!
According to the National Weather Service office in Spokane, Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20, are both going to be record-setting daytime high temperature days in the Wenatchee Valley; with Friday’s mark reaching 92 degrees and Saturday’s a sizzling 95!
Now all this early-season heat might already have you scrambling to dig out your shorts and flip flops from the storage bins in your attic or get a new air conditioner for that hole in the wall with the cardboard and duct tape covering it that you stared at all winter and early spring, but it might not have you remembering the proper procedures for what not leave in your car when the mercury rises into the 90s and beyond.
And that’s why I’m here to help 🙂 …with a list of ten things you should never leave in the car on a hot day, unless that is you’re wanting to make Shrinky Dinks or caramel apples without turning on the oven or stove.
Alright, let’s heat things up and get to it, shall we?!
SUNGLASSES
Yep, I’m pretty sure we’ve all done this one before. In case you didn’t know this, the sun is an enormous nuclear reaction, and the heat it radiates can do crazy s**t to your shades…even from 94 million miles away! Plastic frames and lenses can soften, warp, or even just plain liquify if they’re from the dollar store 😉 Also, sunglasses with metal frames can get so hot that they can give you a nasty burn that makes you look like Buckaroo Banzai for weeks…and we simply can’t have that in our quest to look cool in the heat!
COSMETICS
No explanation needed here, and another one that every woman and Ziggy Stardust-lovin’ man has been through at least once in their life. From lipstick to Chapstick, if it’s already kinda ooey and/or gooey to begin with, there’s no doubt it’ll simply liquify in a hot car.
ELECTRONICS
I know you’re all into your iPhone and you think it’s some uber-futuristic gizmo that was given to us by extraterrestrials who just love to keep in touch, but I got news for ya…most of it is made of the same thing the Etch A Sketch you had as a kid was…plastic! And that means it, and other electronics are an absolute no-no to leave in the car when the weather gets hella hot! And that goes for things like laptops, tablets, cameras, and other devices that prefer it cold like the Terminator. Plus, batteries and other components within these devices can leak and fail, rendering them completely useless as anything but a molten souvenir with a sad tale attached.
CRAYONS, MARKERS, & PENS
Yeah, we all have and need a few things to write with in our jockey box or glove compartment; and while some pens can handle being left in the car when the temperature heats up, others can’t. The obvious one being things like crayons and the like, which can instantly change the color scheme of your interior to something far more Killer Klowns from Outer Space. Heat can deform plastic pens and markers and cause their ink to leak or evaporate.
CANDY & FOOD
Yet another one that undoubtedly everyone has been guilty of a few times, unless they’ve lived in the polar regions of Planet Earth their entire life. For starters, food of any kind should never be left in a hot car, since the heat can expedite its spoilage. Candy meanwhile also has its pitfalls in a blazing vehicle interior; and while there are a few sweets like Smarties, Pixy Stix, and Fun Dip which can survive in such extremes, most of it will meet with a messy and completely inedible end…especially anything made with chocolate, which could also have you staring down the face of pure evil – as in the case of the chocolate bunny pictured above that was left to suffer a demented and deformed doom in the back seat of a Toyota Corolla with black interior.
COMPACT DISCS & DVDs
Yeah, I know what you’re gonna say…’who listens to CDs in their car anymore?’ Well, I’ll tell ya somethin’ wise guy, I’ll have you know that I do! And I’ve lost many of them to that blazing little star that hangs in the heavens for about 14 every day this time of year.
CIGARETTE LIGHTERS
Alright, if you don’t smoke, then this one’s no problem. But if you like to light up, you might light up more than just your cigarette or cigar if you try using a butane lighter that’s been inside a hot car. Whether disposable or refillable, the pressurized material inside these lighters is obviously flammable and will expand in extreme conditions, making them susceptible to bursting into flame or exploding. I’d say it’s just time to quit and not risk it, wouldn’t you?
CREDIT, DEBIT, AND GIFT CARDS
Yeah, good luck swiping that. Need I say more?
WINE & BEER (ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES)
Now look, drinking and driving is already illegal, so let’s not make things worse by leaving these alcoholic beverages in the hot car. The chemical composition of both beer and wine can alter at temperatures above 78 degrees, and that can turn wine into something that tastes more like vinegar and beer a similarly-sour spirit too. Also, cans and bottles of beer and wine can explode in a hot car at high temperatures. And all of this goes for other alcoholic beverages too.
CANNED & BOTTLED SODA
Yes, this is yet another thing than can make a rotten mess of your car’s interior on a hot day. High heat can not only affect the taste and consistency of carbonated drinks, but at extreme temperatures, cans and bottles of soda can actually explode – ruining not only your drink but your vehicle’s Corinthian leather seats as well.
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