As Britain swelters in one of the warmest summers in recent memory, the nation’s drivers will be feeling the heat.
Climbing into a car that has been baking in the summer sun could expose you even higher temperatures, making driving uncomfortable or even dangerous.
Thankfully, we have a few simple tips to cool down your car quickly. The first comes from vehicle designer, Nir Kahn.
His guide to clearing a car’s cabin of stuffy, sun-baked air is a quick and clever one. First, get the car’s air conditioning going, then open all the windows. Leave them open while driving for a minute.
Then close the front windows, driving again for a minute, before closing the rears as well. The effect is to evacuate hot, stale air from the car more quickly than if you keep the windows up and the air conditioning blasting.
Use the air recirculation button
Another tip is to use the AC recirculation button. Found on your car’s dashboard, it typically shows the outline of a car and a circular arrow, like the image above. This reuses the air already inside the cabin instead of pulling in fresh air from the outside.
Using AC recirculation is more efficient and effective on warm days, because you are cooling pre-chilled air – rather than hot air from outside. In polluted areas, such as city centres, it can also maintain a higher air quality inside the car.
You should avoid using AC recirculation on long journeys, as it can eventually reduce the level of oxygen inside the car, making you feel sleepy. It also isn’t suitable for demisting the windscreen, as air from inside the car is likely to be more moist.
Other advice for cooling your car
If you have a sunroof or your car is a convertible, you’re in luck. Get them open fast. Hot air rises and will be out of the top quicker than you can say ‘heatwave’.
Essentials for travelling, obviously, are sun cream and plenty of water. Stay hydrated and keep your sun defences up.
And if you’re still too hot, don’t worry; cooler temperatures are never far off in the UK. Try to enjoy the summer while it lasts.
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