Summer is here and we don’t need to tell you how hot your car can get when it’s parked in the sun.
Everyone’s had this experience: You open the door after being parked in direct sunlight. Suddenly, you’re hit with a sheet of air so hot it feels like you’re conducting a thermonuclear fusion experiment inside your automobile.
Well, Carmax has a way to limit the heat buildup in your car during the hot months.
Introducing the PHEW! Principle…
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Follow these PHEW! steps to keep your vehicle’s interior cool
- Place a towel over your steering wheel and seats to limit their direct exposure to sunlight. The more surface area you can cover, the better!
- Help hot air leave your car. Crank up the AC and roll the windows down to let heat escape. If you have a sunroof, open it a few inches to let the rising hot air exit.
- Evaporation is your friend. Keep a damp washcloth in a plastic bag inside the freezer at work. Use it to wipe down your steering wheel and shifter. Pay special attention to your seat belt buckles. Nobody likes a hot metal burn on hands and fingers when trying to buckle in!
- Work those doors to help the stifling air get out. Opening and closing your door repeatedly acts like a fan to pull the heat out.
And let’s not forget some other simple things you can do to cut down on interior heat:
- Crack the windows when you park in the sun to let heat escape as it builds up.
- Use one of those shiny windshield sun shades to reflect the punishing solar rays right back out of your vehicle.
- Park underneath a tree or in the shade! Most parking lots at stores have at least some small shade trees. Claim one of these spots and you’ll be cool in the shade!
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