Never Leave These Things in Your Car in Freezing WA Weather

As winter freezes over the PNW and much of the nation, with record low temperatures, these are some of the worst items to leave in your vehicle.

Soda, beer, and wine should never be left in a freezing vehicle, you'll have a mess.

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It's never happened to me personally, however, I have seen what can happen when one leaves soda in a freezing vehicle. It explodes and leaves a sticky mess that's not fun to clean up. Always remember when returning from the grocery store to take out the soda or wine.

Mobile devices and tablets can shut down in the cold.

Mobile phones and laptops are targets for shutting down in very cold weather. The lithium-ion batteries are prevented from discharging electricity and freezes the device's operation. Even after the device is brought inside to warm up, the thawing process may cause condensation inside the unit and could ultimately short circuit the battery.

Musical Instruments can be ruined in freezing temperatures.

Guitars and other wood instruments can warp, split, or crack. Strings can tighten or even snap under pressure. Instrument repair can be overwhelmingly expensive. In some cases, a instrument may be impossible to repair. Always take musical instruments inside. It's recommended that you warm up a frozen instrument gradually.

Food in cans or glass jars can be explode or burst.

It's possible that canned foods will react like soda if left in a freezing vehicle. And, no one wants exploding pickles or jam in the back seat. Aerosol cans should never be left in a freezing vehicle. A pressurized can could crack or explode.

Medication should not be left in freezing temperatures.

Some medications can lose their effectiveness if they freeze. Any liquid medications, such as insulin, can separate when it's thawed. If you have questions about medicines left in the cold for an extended time, call your pharmacist.

Never let your gas tank get below half.

This should be easy. AAA recommends keeping your gas tank at least half full at all times to prevent condensation from freezing fuel lines. It's also recommended that you check your antifreeze.

Stay safe in this cold. And, check out the safety video below from Family Handyman.