With
the novel coronavirus pandemic receding, things might just have
started to look normal, but that does not mean we can let our guard
down. We still need to follow all preventive measures like sanitizing
our hands, following social distancing etc.
Since
hand sanitizing is the basic preventive measure, carrying a pet
bottle of hand sanitizer may have become the norm, which translates
to keeping an extra bottle of sanitizer in the car. The question
arises – is it safe? With temperatures rising, does hand sanitizer,
when exposed to direct sunlight, cause problems? More importantly, as
circulated on social media, can hand sanitizer explode with heat in
the car?
The
answer is – NO. According to Brazil based Aos Fatos and Verifica,
for the hand sanitizer to combust, the temperature inside the vehicle
would have to rise up to 572-degree Fahrenheit. In a different study
by Arizona State University, cars parked in the hot sun may reach to
a maximum temperature of 160-degree Fahrenheit. So clearly, the hand
sanitizer is highly unlikely to cause a fire in the car parked in
blazing sun, unless induced by some other factor like exposure to an
open flame.
However,
hand sanitizers should be stored away from direct sunlight for
different reasons altogether. Hand sanitizers are essentially made of
alcohol-based (isopropanol and/or ethyl) which can evaporate due to
heat. This degrades the sanitizer’s potency, meaning it might not
be as effective in killing germs. One should keep the sanitizer away
from direct sunlight. That said, the 60 percent or more of the
sanitizer’s content is alcohol, you need to be mindful of how you
are keeping it. for instance, never keep the sanitizer alongside the
lighter, or flammable equipment. Instead, keep the sanitizer in a
cool, shaded place like the glove box, or side pockets of the doors.
The
conclusion, hand sanitizers are safe in your car if not exposed to
direct flame, and to keep the sanitizer effective and working, you
must store it away from direct light.
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