Plastic Water Bottles Should Not Sit in the Heat
A plastic water bottle is one of the most common things people leave in cars. It is easy to take a drink while driving, set the bottle down, and forget about it until later. During hot weather, however, that forgotten bottle may not be something you want to drink from.
When plastic bottles sit in high heat for hours, chemicals from the plastic can leach into the water. The long-term effects continue to be studied, but the safest choice is to avoid drinking water that has been left in a hot car for an extended period.
Even if the bottle looks normal, heat exposure can change the quality of the water. The taste may become unpleasant, and the bottle itself may soften or change shape depending on the temperature.
Many people keep extra bottles in their cars for emergencies or convenience. During summer, it is better to rotate them often, keep them out of direct sunlight, or bring them inside instead of letting them sit for hours in a hot vehicle.
Medications Can Lose Effectiveness
Medication is another item that should not be stored in a car during hot weather. Many people keep medicine in their vehicle so it is available when needed, but heat and temperature changes can reduce the effectiveness of certain products.
This can become a serious issue because medication needs to work reliably. If heat weakens it, the person using it may not get the expected benefit at the moment they need it most.
Cars are especially poor storage places because temperatures can rise and fall repeatedly throughout the day. A medication may be exposed to heat while the car is parked, then cooler air while the vehicle is being driven, then heat again when parked later.
That constant temperature change is not ideal for many products. Keeping medication in a stable indoor environment is usually a safer habit than leaving it in the glove compartment, center console, or bag inside the vehicle.
