When it's hot outdoors, getting into a car that's been parked directly in the sun for hours has never been a pleasant experience. Who wants to be welcomed with a hot car interior riddled with little hazards? When in a hurry, you may park your car in the direct sunlight, rather than finding a parking space with a shade. But what happens next may scare you! When you park your car under direct sunlight, it can be excessively hot inside in a few minutes! You may wonder what are the exact reasons behind it. Well, if that’s your concern, you have come to the right place to know about it. In this blog, you will find the culprits that cause the problem and some tips on how to prevent your car interior from getting extremely hot.

Why does the interior of a car that has been parked in the sun seem so much warmer?

The “greenhouse effect” is to blame. You've probably heard of the greenhouse effect, which describes how the Earth's atmosphere retains heat, allowing our planet to support life. On a hot day, the greenhouse effect also explains why a car seems like an oven. The heat of the sun enters a car through the windows as well as the windshield and becomes trapped within, raising the temperature inside. Sunlight that enters the car via the windows and windshield is primarily absorbed by the inside surfaces, such as seats, carpets, and the dashboard, and then reflected back to the air as heat. Visible radiation is clear to glass, but heat radiation is not and thus, is trapped by the glass. Heat energy, which has longer wavelengths than visible light, cannot penetrate through glass. So the heat is not reflected back through the glass, which acts as an efficient radiation insulator, and the inside temperature of the car can increase above the outside temperature because radiation is entering but not leaving. The temperature rise is greatest in the first 15-30 minutes after a vehicle is left parked in the sun.

How To Keep Your Parked Car Cool

Below are some tips on how you can keep your parked car cool:

Use Car Windshield Sunshade

A windshield sunshade is one of the best methods to protect your car's front cabin from extreme heat and UV radiation. When you park your car in the sun, the dashboard and steering wheel are exposed to direct sunlight. This might damage the dashboard and steering wheel. They may even fracture and lose their luster as a result of the heat.

Using a windshield sunshade may help you significantly reduce the amount of sunshine and rays entering your car and provide adequate protection to the front side of your vehicle. There is also a rear windshield sunshade available that you may use to cover your car's back interior.

Use Window Sunshades

Having window shades on your car is useful since you can never be certain that you will locate a shaded or covered spot to park in. There are low-cost window coverings available that you can quickly install on your car's windows to block the majority of the sun's rays. These shades will keep your interior from becoming overheated, while also protecting it from the harmful effects of the sun. They aid in the reduction of a significant amount of heat within the vehicle. Another advantage of these window shades is that, unlike windshields shades, these can be used while driving.

Park Under Shades

You can tell the difference in temperature between the shade and the sun and so can your car. Avoid exposing the vehicle to very hot temperatures. Parking in the shade not only keeps your car cool but may also help your car last longer.

Leave The Windows Slightly Open

Closed windows trap hot air, and the glass acts as a conductor, helping to heat up the enclosed room. Allow some air to escape by keeping your windows slightly open, if possible. It should serve as a natural coolant from the inside out of the car.

Tint Your Car Windows

Many people are wondering if tinting windows might help reduce heat. The experts' short and simple response is YES. Window tints restrict the thermal rays that allow sunshine to enter through and produce heat inside the car. As a result, window tint reduces heat while allowing natural light to get through by blocking specific wavelengths. However, you should review your local laws about the percentage of tinting that may be applied to your car's glass.