BLOG: How to keep your car cool in the summer
The British summer is finally upon us, this probably means some hot days and potentially some trips away in the car will ensue.
When it is hot and sunny outside, it can make driving an uncomfortable experience as the conditions can heat up the inside of your car to an intense level.
Here's our top tips for how to keep your car cool in summer days.
How hot does a car get in the sun?
A car's interior can get incredibly hot if it is exposed to sunlight for a long period of time.
It's said that on a sunny day where the temperature is 21 degrees Celsius, the inside of a car can reach up to 40 degrees Celsius in just half an hour of being sat in the sunlight. After an hour under sunlight, the temperature inside a car can climb to 45 degrees Celsius on upwards.
When a car's interior is exposed to the sun on a summer's day, just half an hour can be enough to make the inside uncomfortably or even dangerous hot, especially to children and pets such as dogs.
How to keep your car cool
If you're looking at ideas to keep your car cool during the hot summer days, try out the following things if you haven't done so already;
- Get a sunshade or window visor to cover your car's windscreen or other windows.
- Get a fabric or upholstered dashboard cover to protect your interior parts from the heat. Similarly, use a towel to cover your steering wheel so this won't get intensely hot.
- Park in shady areas when possible. If you have a garage then the summer is a good time to make use of it and if you go to a public car park, see if there's a shaded spot you can leave your car in.
- If you leave any precious possessions in your car, keep them out of direct sunlight. Instead put them in the boot or one of the cabin's storage compartments in your car if possible, or alternatively put a blanket or similar type of cover above them.
- If you haven't done so for a while, check your car's air conditioning to be sure it's running in good condition.
How to keep a car seat cool in the summer?
The seats are the largest components found in a car's cabin so they can be considered the most challenging parts to keep cool during a hot summer day especially if you have leather seats. Covering the car's seats in something like a towel can possibly help too when you're not using the car.