Part of owning a vehicle is adjusting to the various weather patterns, including sweltering summer heat. The guide below demonstrates the heat’s impact on your car interior and how you can protect the cabin from damaging UV rays. While temperature is something the HVAC system will regulate, you can ensure you always enjoy a pleasant smell when you get into your vehicle with a signature Drift car freshener. 

The Hidden Toll of Heat on Car Interiors

You don’t need to touch a hot steering wheel in 100-degree-plus heat to know that prolonged sun exposure can degrade your vehicle, inside and out. It’s not just the surfaces in your car that fail to bear the brunt of the hot summer sun—the air quality within your vehicle also suffers. You’ve probably noticed the difference between how your car smells when parked in the garage versus how it smells atop the blazing blacktop. 

The sun can be just as damaging to your vehicle as hail, ice, rain, and many other types of weather-related hazards. Everything from the electronics to the upholstery and even the plastic trim within is susceptible to damage from extreme heat. Keep reading to explore how heat affects your car and what you can do about it to retain your car’s resale value. 

Sun Damage 101: What Gets Hit the Hardest

The sun’s UV rays can significantly damage a vehicle, from degrading the exterior paint to fading the interior. Specific car interior damage includes faded and cracking upholstery, warped and brittle dashboards and plastic, and malodors as various materials offgas. When subjected to direct sunlight, electronics and touchscreens can also experience performance issues. 

It’s a common misconception that vehicles must sit outside in the sun for years, neglected, to sustain sun damage. However, depending on where you live, even a few days spent under the hot summer sun can take their toll on your vehicle. But once you understand what the sun can do to your car, you can take the necessary steps to prevent it. 

Which Materials Hold Up Best in the Heat?

Lighter cloth seats tend to hold up better than dark-colored leather under UV rays, but seat covers offer the best protection against the sun. Dark leather is prone to heat soak, which can quickly lead to cracking and splitting. 

However, both light and dark upholstery can fade over time if subjected to significant amounts of sunlight—and not necessarily in a uniform pattern. With the proper window tint or sunshades, you can prevent the sun from fading your car’s interior, regardless of whether it’s cloth or leather upholstery. 

Cool-Down Strategies That Actually Work

Keeping your car’s interior cool can help reduce the chances of sun and heat damage. Storing your vehicle in a temperature-controlled garage can also help minimize any damage from the sun. When that’s not possible, use the following strategies to keep your car interior cooler: 

• Parking in the shade: On a boiling summer day, parking in the shade won’t save your car from getting hot, but it will reduce the intensity of the sun’s rays. Instead of beating down directly onto the car’s body and through the windows to the car interior, the UV rays will be blocked by the shadowing object.

• Sunshades: In a similar vein, sunshades provide a protective layer between the sun and your car’s interior. Many actually reflect the sunlight to keep the car interior cooler. 

• Window tinting: Installing window tint on your car’s windows can help provide a semi-permanent solution to protecting the interior from the sun. 

• Ceramic window coating: Ceramic coatings help protect your paint from harmful UV rays, and, when applied to the windows and windshield, can provide the same protection while also keeping windows cleaner and reducing glare. 

In a pinch, rolling down the windows or even opening them an inch or two can equalize the temperature inside and outside the vehicle. While that may allow some sunlight into the car, it will help reduce any pressure buildup from the temperature difference. 

Smell the Difference: How to Keep Your Cabin Fresh

A rise in outside temperatures can cause your car’s interior to take on some pretty interesting smells, not all of them pleasant. However, a Drift car freshener can help keep your car interior smelling fresh, regardless of how high the temperature climbs. These luxury car fresheners feature multiple scent profiles, including the following: 

• Amber: Eucalyptus, golden amber, vanilla, French lavender

• Cabana: Bergamot, coconut, cedarwood, sea salt

• Grove: Juicy citrus, vanilla sugar, mountain greens, blond wood

• Open Air: Fresh air, crisp linen, morning dew, white wood 

• Pine: Mountain pine, moss, cedarwood, musk

• Teak: Cedar atlas, amber, teakwood, oakmoss

In addition to these expertly curated scents, you can choose from three different types of car fresheners. The Wood and Stone car fresheners clip onto your driver’s or passenger’s side visor, while the Metal car freshener attaches to any air vent. Each is made from a sustainably sourced material, including alder wood, organic stone, and alloy metal.

Drift signature car fresheners are also vegan, cruelty-free, and safe for use around pets and children. Our proprietary formula is free from phthalates, parabens, mineral oils, DEA, formaldehyde, petroleum, propylene, dichlorobenzene, and other harsh chemicals. Once placed inside your vehicle, Drift car fresheners last up to 30 days or longer. 

Heat Happens: Be Ready With a Drift Car Freshener

Regardless of how you beat the heat and stop it from degrading your car’s interior, a luxury car freshener from Drift can help keep the cabin smelling fresh. The signature fragrances of these premium car fresheners make even the hottest days more pleasant. In addition, the exclusive scents available through the Scent of the Month Club change with the seasons to continuously enhance your car interior.