How to Get Into a Hot Car in The Summertime

Ever open your car door on a hot summer day and get blasted by a wave of oven-like heat? And then you have to stand there waiting for it to cool down so you can get in? Here's a way to get going a little faster.

Open All Doors
When you get to your car, don't go to the driver's side first. Start by opening the front passenger door. If it's an especially hot, sunny day, you can use the door as a shield between you and any blasts of heat that roll out when you open it.

If you have a rear passenger door, open that one too. If the back of your car is a hatch or gate or otherwise opens into the main compartment of the car, open that too. Keep going around opening all the doors until you get to the driver's door, which you open last.

Roll Down All Windows
Now roll down all the windows, starting with the driver's side door. Go back around opening windows until you're at the front passenger door again.

If your car has automatic windows, you might have to reach in and put your key into the ignition first.

Close All Doors
By now, most of the heat will have wafted out of the car - especially if there's any breeze. Close all the doors, starting with the front passenger and working your way back around to the driver's side. If your windows are manual crank, you'll probably want to close any that you can't reach from the driver's seat if there's any chance of rain.

Once you're back to the driver's side, get in before you close it. The inside of the car should be about the same temperature as the outside - much better than before you started. Now your AC (if you use AC) won't have to work as hard. :)

Other Heat Protection
A good, inexpensive way to keep the interior temperature down is car sunglasses, put in front of the windshield. These reflect sunlight away from the car at the place where most of the heat is generated (that is, through the windshield). Car dealerships often sell them specially fitted to their brands, while generic ones are available in department stores for less.

Fuzzy steering wheel covers are a good way to protect your hands from high heat (and also extreme cold in the winter). They make it much less painful to touch the steering wheel when you first get in.