Summer Survival Guide: Cool Cars
We all complain about the heat, but no one does anything about it!
How do you keep your car cool when the temperature is in the triple digits?
We’d love to hear your ideas! Comment here, or weigh in on social media using #CoolCars and #SummerSurvivalGuide
We spend a LOT of time in our cars, and in the desert, when we first get in, it is HOT.
Really hot. Especially for little ones.
So, have you ever tried?
1. A cooler with an ice pack and blankets for the car. Set an ice pack on the seat or car seat and cover it with a towel or blanket while the car is parked.
2. A noggle. “Make the backseat cool again” with these easily detachable hoses. “The noggle is the only safe thing that’s allowed to be used while the car is being driven,” explains Heidi McArthur of Jadabugs Kids Boutique in La Quinta.
3. A car seat cooler. La Quinta mom Trisha Ligman makes them and sells them to valley parents. “When we would get back in the car after being in the store, the buckles would be so hot and it would burn McKenzie’s leg,” Ligman explains. Now her 3-year-old doesn’t complain about the car ride.
4. Park in the shade (if you can find some)
5. Park against the sun (to keep the rays from directly hitting your dash or seats)
6. Pick up a sun visor (they work!)
7. Choose a lighter colored car. White versus black paint (same for interior color) does make a difference.
8. Sun shades for windows “They definitely keep the car a lot cooler, even without the front visor,” says Palm Desert mother Louise Brown. She found some on Amazon. “The window goes up and down with them also.”
9. Car seat covers. We found some online for just $8.
10. Spritz your steering wheel with water
11. Use a drink coozie or sock to cover your gearshift.
12. Use a baby sock to cover buckles to keep the metal temperature down while the car is parked.
13. Autostart. (The gold standard if you can get one!)
Prevent Hot Car Deaths
The non-profit BabySav produced a video in partnership with a group of high school students to demonstrate how a simple sticker can save a life.
Contact BabySav to get your own sticker or floorboard for your home or business, or pick one up at the CBS Local 2 studios.
Not all children left in hot vehicles are forgotten. See the breakdown of how the children are left unattended.
