Avoid a Sweltering Hot Car this Summer
From: americanlifestylemag.com
We’ve all heard the old adage that on particularly warm summer days, it could be hot enough to fry an egg right on the sidewalk. But sometimes it feels like we could do the same right on our car dashboards, too.
Depending on where you live and how long your car has been sitting, it’s internal temperature could skyrocket to more than 120°F, though with no air flow, feels even hotter than that!
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help alleviate the hot air in your car, and prevent the dreaded seat or steering wheel burn on your skin.
Keep them cracked
You might be hesitant to crack your windows (and we get it, it basically like putting out a welcome mat for bugs) but it can make a big difference in generating air flow into your car. Just be mindful of the amount of space you leave—it should be smaller than your arm—and make sure there are no storms on the horizon.
Turn your door into a fan
Think of your car door as one giant fan for the rest of your vehicle. Roll down one of the front windows, and open the door on the opposite side. Quickly push the door back toward the car until almost closed, and repeat the process a few times.
Find a shady spot
Even if you have to park in the lot across the street, it’s best to find a spot with adequate shade, such as under a tree, or even better, in a garage.
Remember: heat rises
It’s instinct to blast the A/C directly onto your face the minute you get into a hot car, but it makes much more sense to open the bottom air vents first, and allow the air to cool off before switching to the top vents.
Start slow
Blasting the A/C is actually one of the worst things you can do because, at least for the first ten minutes or so, will be pulling hot air from inside your car to push back through the vents. Instead, place the air on a lower setting while your windows are rolled down, wait for it to become cool, and turn to full blast.
