How to Keep a Parked Car Cool in Pakistan's Summer Heat

Leave a car in the open for an hour in a Karachi, Lahore or Multan summer and you come back to an oven: a steering wheel too hot to hold, a seat belt buckle that burns, and an AC that needs several minutes before the cabin feels bearable. If you are wondering how to keep a car cool in summer without spending much, most of the answer is a handful of habits - and one inexpensive piece of kit.

Here is what actually helps, in the order you would do it.

Why a parked car gets so hot

Sunlight passes through the glass and lands on the dashboard, seats and steering wheel. Those surfaces soak up the heat and warm the air around them, and in a closed car that hot air has nowhere to go. Dark dashboards and dark seats absorb the most, which is why the front of the car is always worse than the back.

So there are two ways to fight it: stop the sunlight getting in, and get the trapped hot air out quickly when you return. Everything below does one or the other.

1. Park with the afternoon sun in mind

Shade is the best cooling there is, but shade moves. The tree or wall that shades your car at ten in the morning may leave it in full sun by two in the afternoon.

• Think about when you will be back, not just where the shade is now. The sun moves from east to west, so a spot on the east side of a building stays shaded longer in the afternoon.
• Point the windscreen away from the sun if there is no shade at all. The windscreen is the biggest piece of glass in the car and sits right above the dashboard, so keeping it out of direct sun makes the biggest difference.
• Use covered parking at offices, malls and hospitals whenever it is available, even if it means a slightly longer walk.

2. Use a windscreen sun shade every time you park

When shade is not an option, a sun shade is the next best thing, because it stops the sunlight at the windscreen before it reaches the dashboard.

The old concertina cardboard shades work, but they are awkward to fold and usually end up thrown on the back seat. An umbrella-style windscreen sun shade is quicker to use:

1. Hold it closed against the inside of the windscreen and press the button to open it, like an umbrella.
2. Let the canopy spread across the glass, with the silver reflective side facing out.
3. Flip both sun visors down to hold the top edge in place, and rest the handle on the dashboard - not against a touchscreen or the gear lever.
4. When you come back, close it and slide it into its storage sleeve. Folded, it fits in the glovebox or a door pocket.

Be realistic about what it does. A sun shade will not make a parked car cold. What it does is keep direct sun off the parts you touch - the steering wheel, the seats, the gear lever - and, day after day, off the dashboard, which fades and cracks in strong sun. It costs Rs. 1,899 at Chase & Cart, and it earns its place in the glovebox on the first hot afternoon.

Always take the shade down before you drive. It is only for a parked car.

3. Leave the windows open a crack - only where it is safe

A small gap at the top of two windows lets some of the hot air escape while the car is parked. It helps, but only do it where it makes sense: in a guarded or covered car park, on a day with no chance of rain. On the street, keep the windows closed - a gap in the glass is an invitation to thieves.

4. Keep the hot spots covered

The steering wheel and seat belt buckle are the parts that hurt. Two simple habits help:

• Turn the steering wheel half a turn before you get out, so the part you hold ends up facing down and out of the sun.
• Drape a small towel or cloth over the steering wheel, and tuck the seat belt buckle down beside the seat instead of leaving it lying in the sunlight.

If your seats are leather or leatherette, a cotton seat cover makes the first few minutes of a drive far more comfortable.

5. Get the hot air out before you switch on the AC

When you get back to the car, the air inside is hotter than the air outside. Running the AC straight away means it has to cool all that trapped heat first. Flush it out instead:

1. Open the front passenger window fully.
2. Open and close the driver's door five or six times. Each swing pushes a gust of hot air out through the open window.
3. Start driving with the windows down for the first minute.
4. Then close the windows and switch the AC on. Once the cabin has cooled, switch to recirculation so the AC keeps cooling the air that is already inside.

6. Keep the AC vents clean

Dust from dry spells, dust storms and drying monsoon mud collects in the slats of the AC vents. Dirty vents do not look good, and every time you switch on the fan they blow a little of that dust back at you.

A microfibre cloth cannot reach between the slats, which is where a soft detailing brush comes in. The 5-piece car detailing brush set has slim brushes that fit into vent slats, dashboard seams and the gaps around buttons. Use them dry: work the bristles into the vent, lift the dust out, and wipe it away. Do not spray water or cleaner into the vents. The set is Rs. 1,199 and the brushes rinse clean for reuse.

The vents are only the outlet, though. If the air from your AC smells musty or the airflow seems weak, ask your mechanic to check the cabin air filter at your next service.

7. Never leave these in a parked car

Some things should never be left in a car standing in the sun:

• Children and pets - not even for a few minutes. A parked car heats up quickly, and it can be deadly.
• Phones, power banks and laptops - heat damages batteries.
• Aerosol sprays and lighters - deodorant, perfume and air freshener cans can leak or burst in heat.
• Medicines - many need to be kept cool to work properly.
• Plastic water bottles you plan to drink from - carry a fresh one instead.

A quick routine for hot days

When you park:

1. Choose shade that will still be shade when you return.
2. Put up the sun shade.
3. Turn the steering wheel half a turn and cover it with a cloth.
4. Take children, pets, phones, power banks and sprays out with you.

When you come back:

1. Take the sun shade down and put it away.
2. Swing the driver's door a few times with the passenger window open.
3. Drive with the windows down for a minute, then close them and switch on the AC.

None of this needs a big spend. Browse the rest of our car accessories for more small upgrades that make daily driving easier - delivery is free all over Pakistan, and you pay cash when your order arrives. See shipping and delivery for the details.