Backseat Melt

The hot summer days bring whole new reasons to pay attention to what’s in your back seat. Give the Midwestern sun four hours, and not only will you be able to see what you left in your car, but you’ll smell it. Leave the wrong items overnight, and you’ll find them ruined.

Leftover lunch containers
I’m guilty of this daily. So far the worst stink offender is watermelon residue in the bottom of a Tupperware container. Or that one time I forgot I bought milk and left it in my trunk. Remove all items that contain even a tiny bit of food. Your nose will thank you.

Electronics
Cameras, GPS devices, phones, iPods should all be taken inside. Heat can ruin memory cards and render your electronics unusable. Same deal with DVDs or CDs.

Glasses
Although it’s easier to just leave them on the dash, take your sunglasses with you. The heat can warp the frames or cause them to melt, not to mention the burns that could occur when you place those hot frames on your poor ears.

Chapstick
Another one I routinely fall victim to, and it’s a huge, huge mess. The oils in chapsticks and lipstick melt easily in anything above room temperature so stick them in your purse before you leave.

Chocolate
If you’ve done it once, you’ll never do it again. Not only do you lose your chocolate, but you now have quite the cleaning challenge ahead of you. Experts say carpet shampoo and stain remover should do the trick when scrubbed with an old toothbrush.

Crayons
You probably didn’t realize your kids dropped their crayons in the backseat until the next morning when you find a melted rainbow. One fun tip for getting then stain out: Place a sheet of paper (or towel) over the spot and use a warm iron. The wax will melt and be absorbed by the paper. Keep going with a new sheet of paper until it’s all gone. (source)

Animals and kids
It goes without saying, but don’t ever leave your animals or your kids in the hot car, even with the windows cracked.  A child overheats five times faster than an adult. Just don’t take the risk.