Believe it / myLot

Canada

August 29, 2025 7:58am CST

A number of years ago I remember reading something about plastic water bottles left in vehicles catching fire. And I thought to myself, well wouldn't the remaining water extinguish the fire? And then I put it out of my mind, until this morning. After picking up groceries I reached to the little cubby on the door for a tube of hand sanitizer. Yes, it has been there for a few years, but it wasn't empty, so it remained. Something about it was shockingly different this morning. The tube is white, not clear, as the little bottles are. I immediately noticed that there were cracks in the white and a burn mark about the size of a dime on it. I could see that the burn was stopped by the hole that it had burned in the tube. There was still some remaining contents to the tube. They felt really gooey and sticky. They obviously changed composition in the heat. I would not have believed it had I not seen it for myself. Please clear your vehicles of any plastic that can melt and potentially burn.

10 people like this

10 responses

MARILYN

@Marilynda1225 (86024)

• United States

I don't think we have any plastic in our car but I'll have to check. Thats pretty scary and thanks for the reminder. I'm definitely going to pass this info on to all my family especially the grandkids who all drive now.

2 people like this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

I am still in shock after seeing that burnt mark on the tube of hand sanitizer, and the hole that resulted from the extreme heat. We don't need this vehicle but we are holding on to it until I retire, it would be a shame to have it die by a fire.

Judy Evans

@JudyEv (361946)

• Rockingham, Australia

Wow! Thanks for telling us about this. I often leave plastic bottles in the car but I won't in future.

2 people like this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

No, please do not. I did not even keep the tube to take a picture because it upset me so much knowing that I was that close to having an interior fire in my automobile.

celticeagle

@celticeagle (179061)

• Boise, Idaho

It's a good lesson, huh? We all need to be aware of the heat and such things like this. Thank you for bringing it to our attention. I'm glad I no longer have a car or I would want to bring inside all the things I used to carry in the console and the jockey box.

1 person likes this

show previous comments

celticeagle

@celticeagle (179061)

• Boise, Idaho

28m

@Juliaacv .......Sort of freaky too.

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

51m

Yes, good lesson learnt.

1 person likes this

Show more comments

Anna

@LadyDuck (482546)

• Italy

Plastic releases toxic substances, the heat in the car also promotes bacterial growth. The plastic bottles itself does not catches fire, but the bottle can act as a lens, to cause adjacent material to catch fire.

1 person likes this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

I imagine that the burnt mark was as a result of the sun coming through the window on the driver's door. I do not keep plastic water bottles in the vehicles any longer, it is too unsafe for these reasons and not very tidy looking.

LindaOH

@LindaOHio (199219)

• United States

Thank you so much for the warning. It's always something, isn't it?

1 person likes this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

It is, I was so shocked and worried when I picked up that tube of hand sanitizer and saw the brown mark on it and the hole. I asked my husband to take everything out of the car, he doesn't keep alot in it, but will take out what is there.

LooeyVille

@LooeyVille (59)

• United States

Oh yes, a couple of years ago the news was telling people not to leave Hand Sanitizer in your car.

1 person likes this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

I wasn't aware of that, only the warning of not to keep water bottles, which is a much thinner plastic in your vehicle.

1 person likes this

Amber

@AmbiePam (102136)

• United States

Wow, that is incredible. I knew not to drink from plastic that had had prolonged exposure to the heat/sun, but my mind didn’t go to it catching fire.

1 person likes this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

I felt terrible that I had left this on the door of the car and the sun coming through the window and had it caused a fire it would have endangered other vehicles parked near it.

1 person likes this

snowy

@snowy22315 (195178)

• United States

That is kind of scary. I have hand sanitizer in the car too, that of course has been there for awhile. I will have to find somewhere else to store that.

1 person likes this

Juliaacv

@Juliaacv (54663)

• Canada

Yes, when you pick up something in your vehicle that looks burned and has a hole in it from where it burned through, you get scared. Please, I hope that you can move the hand sanitizer in your car.