Hygiene vs heat: How a disinfectant bottle in a hot car can go wrong

BERLIN: It doesn't matter if it's a deodorant, a mosquito spray or some disinfectant: Bottles of chemicals and hot cars are generally not a good mix.

Particularly during the pandemic, you may be tempted to leave a bottle of disinfectant inside your car. But remember that if your car is left exposed to direct sunlight, it can hit temperatures of 70 or 80 degrees Celsius.

Depending on the composition of your disinfectant or deodorant, it may be flammable, especially if there's alcohol in it. Deodorant spray cans, meanwhile, are considered to be explosive at temperatures as low as 50 degrees.

That's why car drivers should avoid keeping all kinds of spray cans in their cars, advises Soeren Heinze from Auto Club Europa (ACE).

If they do have to be taken on board, they should be protected from the sun and stored in the glove compartment, for example.

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The same goes for disinfectant and insect repellent in plastic pump spray bottles. "If the pressure in the bottle increases, the cap can come loose and the contents leak. In the worst case, caps can even become a bullet," warns Heinze.

That's why if you don't want any explosions or leakages in your car, you should keep all those kinds of chemicals away from heat, as well as open flames like cigarettes.

If you want to use disinfectants in your car, make sure that the car is well ventilated and that you're not spraying them directly onto the dashboard.

It is best to wet a disposable cloth outside the car and then wipe the surfaces inside with it.

"This prevents the formation of aerosols in the car, minimises the danger, and the cleaning agent is used more economically and in a targeted manner," says Heinze.

"The active step of wiping is also important for disinfection."

Such cleaning agents should be stored in a cool place - whether as a spray can or as a pump spray - and without direct sunlight, i.e. not in the car. This isn't just to reduce any risk of leakage or a build-up of pressure, but also to maintain their effectiveness.