Don’t Leave These 7 Items in Your Car During Idaho Winter

The temperature has been frigid, the snow has piled up a couple times, and the hope of getting above freezing is as good as a coin flip every day. Winter in Idaho can be rough, especially as the days below freezing continue to mount, and at times, the days without sun. It is tough to get warm and it is tough to handle day after day. While our bodies adjust and we can bundle up to warm up, the items left sitting in our car can not, and they are left at the mercy of the temperatures that Idaho decides to put out that day. Leaving certain items in the car when the temperature gets so low can damage them and make them unusable, which is why some items shouldn't be left in the car this winter.

Canned Soda or Bottled Drinks

This one is pretty simple. Put a can of soda or a water bottle in a freezer for an extended period and watch it burst when you try to open it. When temperatures get into single digits and below, the cans and bottles are best brought inside and placed in the fridge. 

Electronics in the Car

Leaving electronics in the car is never a good idea. During the summer, they can overheat and fry, and during the winter, they can destroy the batteries inside. Electronics are too expensive to leave in the car and take a chance of damage happening over temperature, so make sure to get them in the house where they belong, instead of having to rebuy what now doesn't work. 

Canned Foods

This is one you may not know, but if a canned food is left in the cold for too long, the can will swell. The good news, as long as the the can hasn't rusted, split, or completely busted open, the food inside is likely still good to eat. 

Instruments

For those who have talent and know how to play instruments, make sure to not leave them in the car this winter. The cold temperatures can damage them, especially any wooden instruments. That guitar that you love and play every day, should not be left in the car, as it could crack from the cold. Take it inside and keep practicing while you and it stay warm.  

Eyeglasses and Sunglasses

Leaving glasses and sunglasses in the car should be a no-no at times. They are items that typically get stolen first if left in a car, but if left in frigid temperatures, the lenses could crack, or the frames could snap. It is best to take them inside, so you don't have to buy another pair. 

Medications

This one may surprise people a bit, but extreme cold can do damage to medication. If you are someone who has a liquid medication, it will likely freeze if left in the car, especially when the temperatures are below zero, like they have been already this winter. It can also do damage to pills. You may not see anything wrong with the pill, but the cold could make it less effective. 

Don't Leave Kids in the Car in Idaho

This one should be the most obvious. Go sit in your car without the heater on for 10 minutes when it is below freezing and see how you feel. Odds are you will see your breath, shiver, and not make it the full 10 minutes. Now picture being a child, when everything felt more cold than it does as an adult. If you don't want to experience it, then neither do your kids. Make sure to take them in with you to the store, to pick up another child, or when you get home, let them out before getting the groceries. 

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The cold temperatures aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Occasionally a day above freezing will pop up, and it may even get into the 40's, but more days below freezing are on the way for the next couple of months. Make sure to bring the items above inside, so you don't have to replace them in the future.