The winters are well past us and soon, we’ll have temperatures rising to some really unpleasant highs. There will be instances when you’ll need to get into your car and get driving but will have to bear with some uncomfortably high heat levels inside the car. Today, we come up with some tips on how to keep car cool in summer.
How to Keep Car Interior Cool During Summer
Tip #1 Use Sunshades/Window Visors
First tip in our guide on how to keep car cool in summer is to use the tried and tested method of using sunshads. The sunshades and window visors don’t cost too much and are easily available at all car accessory shops. We request you to put a sunshade or a window visor every time you park your car under the sun, even it’s only for a few minutes. Using these things prevent the greenhouse effect from taking place, thereby ensuring the interior of your car stays cool.
The second tip on how to keep car interior cool during summer helps you prevent the dashboard from heating up by using a dashboard cover. Simply speaking, you won’t have an unpleasant experience everytime you touch your car dashboard after your vehicle has been left parked under the Sun for a while. Also, these covers protect the dashboard plastic from losing color or texture due to the high temperature they heat up to.
Tip #3 Cover the Steering Wheel too
Of course, using the dashboard cover isn’t a complete solution. You also need to ensure that the steering wheel doesn’t get too hot. The solution? Use a cover for the steering wheel, too. This will help you firmly hold the steering wheel as the surface temperature will remain under a check.
Tip #4 Park in Shade
Next tip on how to keep car interior cool during summer is the easiest one in this list. Basically, the best way to beat the sun is to park your car under a shade. This will keep the interior cooler. While this is something very basic, a lot many of us overlook this and park at the first slot that catches our attention. However, we recommend you to spend a few minutes finding a shady area for the parking. Also, if you can’t find shade, you can simply cover your interior using a light-colored cotton bedsheet.
Tip #5 Keep Windows Slightly Open
Our next tip on how to keep car cool in summer is another easy one. Just keep the windows slightly open. Remember, hot air rises. Hence, the best way to make sure the heat escapes from the confines of your car cabin is to leave the windows slightly open. That said, make sure the windows are not opened wide enough to let a miscreant/thief slip his hand inside to unlock the car. Even a small opening will ensure there’s sufficient ventilation and that the hot air escapes the car interior.
Tip #6 Keep the Backside Cool
Another tip to keep the seats cool, especially when you have leather seats, is to use low-cost cooling cushions. These cushions will also reduce fatigue levels while travelling for long durations.
Tip #7 Use Solar Fans
While not easy, but this is easily among the most efficient ways to keep car cool in summer. Invest in solar-powered fans that can be easily mounted on the windows. You can easily charge them from sunlight and use them to keep your car’s cabin cool by getting cool wind enter your cabin.
Tip #8 Before You Start Driving
In case you are about to start using a car with a interior that is heated in the sun, you can first cool the cabin by opening all the doors and windows and switch on the aircon at full blast.
Tip #9 Get your air-conditioner serviced
Prevention is better than cure and hence, get you car’s air-conditioner serviced before summers set in. This will help you efficiently cool the cabin during driving in the summer season. A clogged filter or low levels of refrigerant gas can put a lot of stress in the summer and reduce the cooling performance.
Tip #10 Keep your belongings in the glove box
This tip won’t cool down your car’s interior but will definitely keep your belongings safe. Direct sunlight and high cabin temperature can destroy your CDs and pen drives. Hence, you should never leave your belongings in the cabin exposed under direct sunlight. Store them in the glove box or even in the boot to prevent exposure to sunlight.
Some more tips on how to keep car interior cool during summer
- Get your car’s roof painted with reflective paint. This will reflect off most of the heat
- Use universal curtains to prevent the sunlight from heating up the interior
- Store all your accessories in the glove box. Never leave a pressurized can, such as a perfume under direct sunlight as it can explode from heat.
- Use beaded seat covers to aid ventilation.
We hope our tips on how to keep car cool in summer end up helping you keep your car’s cabin cooler during the summer season.