IDAHO FALLS – For some of us, our car acts as a storage unit for the commute between work and home.
With record cold temperatures in eastern Idaho this week, it’s important to leave some of your vital items at home. Here’s what and why:
Potatoes
According to “Dr. Potato” at IdahoPotato.comfrozen potatoes probably shouldn’t be used, as taste and quality decline quickly.
“Once frozen, the cell structure changes as well as the taste,” says Dr. Potato. “They darken when cooked. »
Technology
Your cell phone hates the cold as much as you do. While we generally tend to see our devices get too hot, allowing them to get too cold is also dangerous.
BNC News reports that batteries are easily damaged by extremely cold temperatures.
“If you leave your device in the cold for too long, its battery will die and its LCD screen will probably start to have problems or even die completely. Also, if you leave it in the cold and quickly bring it to a warm room , you can cause condensation to build up inside the device, which can cause longer-term damage.
Apple suggests storing your device “where the temperature is between -4°C and 113°F. Do not leave your device in your car, as temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range.”
Soft drinks
As a Rexburg family learned early Monday morningit’s important to get your soft drinks out of the car when the weather turns bad.
“What’s dangerous is carbon dioxide,” says Louis Bloomfield, a physicist at the University of Virginia. “After it’s squeezed out of the water as the water crystallizes, the carbon dioxide builds up in the small space left in the can, and the pressure of that gas skyrockets. .”
Children, seniors and pets
This one is self-explanatory. If you wouldn’t want to sit in the car while it’s parked outside, neither will your loved ones!
The National Weather Service in Pocatello reports the current weather is “capable of causing frostbite to exposed skin in as little as 5-10 minutes”.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say children and the elderly may be more susceptible to hypothermia in cold weather than adults.
Even a short time in an unheated car can have disastrous results. Don’t.
Drug
Some medications may become useless after too long in the cold.
According to the American Diabetes Association, not only can injecting cold insulin make it more painful, it can also cause the insulin to clump together, making it unsafe to use.
Jeff Pilz, a specialty pharmacist at Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University, recommended that if you know a packet of medicine is on its way to your home, take the time to ensure it is brought indoors or to a safe temperature as soon as possible.
Eggs
If you brave a trip to the grocery store in extremely cold weather, remember to get your eggs home as soon as possible.
Eggs can spoil quickly in cold weather, and with egg prices at record highit’s not something you want to lose.
And you shouldn’t freeze eggs in their shells, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. But if you do and the shell cracks, throw them away immediately. If the shell survives the freezing process, you can safely store the frozen egg and use it.
To prepare the frozen egg, just give it time to thaw in the refrigerator.
Musical instruments
If left in the cold, your musical instruments may not sing the same melody afterwards.
Wind instruments often become flat in the cold and string instruments will become sharp if left in freezing temperatures, according to Classic FM.
Dr Tom Fisherprofessor at the Nottingham School of Art and Design, says your own saliva can freeze inside the instrument.
“Blowing a copper instrument causes condensation to form inside it,” says Dr. Fisher. “It is possible that on a very cold day, a concert outside could cause the water inside the instrument to freeze. This would prevent the valves from working.
Temperature can also affect how wind instruments sound. Because sound travels more slowly in cooler air, the speed of sound through air decreases by about two feet per second, Classic FM reports, making your beautiful music “slow.”
Household cleaners
Many common household cleaners have a high water content, which means they freeze quickly and can break the bottles they are stored in.
When it warms up, you’ll end up with a bunch of soapy suds to help clean your car.