Motorists warn of everyday items you should NEVER leave in a hot car

DRIVERS have been warned to prepare for sizzling car journeys by removing dangerous everyday items as temperatures soar this summer.

While many of us know how uncomfortably hot cars can be, fewer know that heat build-up inside a car can cause damage to a number of everyday objects.

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As the sun’s energy enters the car, it begins to heat up solid objects, creating what is known as the greenhouse effect.

If items are left in sweltering heat, they can be damaged – and possibly your car.

Here are five things drivers should never leave in a hot car.

Your bottled water poses a fire risk

Heating a plastic bottle releases chemicals like bisphenol A and phthalates into the water, even at temperatures like a hot car in summer.

However, it has also been found that bottled water can actually pose a fire hazard.

Plastic and water filter like a magnifying glass, concentrating the sun’s rays into a beam of energy that can burn your car’s cloth seats.

This was discovered by Drew Anderson, a 69 News meteorologist in the US, when he left a clear water bottle in his car and came back to see that the sun had hit the bottle at just the right angle to make a hole in the front seat burn.

Sunscreen can lose its effectiveness if left in a hot car

Sunscreen bottles have been known to explode in warm environments.

Not only can the plastic warp its shape when exposed to direct sunlight, heating the cream can actually change its shelf life, meaning you’re missing out on valuable UV protection and risking damaging your skin.

Beverage cans can burst and leak

Even if not exposed to direct sunlight, the heat applied to compressed soft drink cans can cause them to explode.

Though it’s little more than an ugly mess most of the time, if it pops while you’re behind the wheel, it could be enough of a distraction to cause an accident.

Deodorant cans explode if left in a hot car

It’s a good idea to take aerosol cans out of the car when the weather warms up.

A study found that outside temperatures of 22°C can generate temperatures of up to 47°C inside a car in just one hour.

Such a hot environment can cause the pressure in the canister to rise and potentially rupture.

Heat can cause irreparable damage to your devices

Gadgets such as iPads, mobile phones or other tablets are not only a target for thieves if left in the car, they are also vulnerable to heat.

Leaving battery-powered devices in a hot car can permanently damage the device’s internal components, causing the miniature circuit board to bend and the battery to warp.

It can also damage screens, causing them to become pixelated, cracked, and unresponsive.

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