Hopefully, we're just about through the coldest days of winter in Montana after record cold temperatures were recorded across that state this week. I mean, I can deal with 30ish, but when it gets close to -20 I think most can agree that it's pretty brutal. Throw in some wind chill and I'm not leaving the house.

Everything seems more difficult when it's so cold... vehicles struggle to start (or break down), kids need a thousand layers of clothes to go to school, plastic items become brittle and break, etc. You can't rush when it's super-cold, and you should never, ever, leave pop (or "soda", if you will) in your car.

Photo by Mahbod Akhzami on Unsplash
Photo by Mahbod Akhzami on Unsplash
loading...

A messy mistake you'll only make once.

Decades ago, I left a can of Pepsi in my car on a cold winter night, thinking nothing of it. The next morning you can imagine my surprise when I went out to warm up my car. The can had frozen overnight, exploding in the process and sending its slushy, sticky contents everywhere. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal filmed a short video showing how surprisingly violent the cans of carbonation can pop when temps drop. Check it out below.

The mess is significantly worse if it's a whole case of pop.

One can of exploded diet Coke is messy enough, but the disaster in your car is a real pain to clean if you inadvertently leave a 12-pack in your car. One poster on the Billings Classifieds Facebook page had a real mess on her hands earlier this week, writing,

Ok, let’s start with don’t try to laugh too hard! Jerks. I accidentally forgot 3 / 12 packs of soda in my car and well, they ALL exploded. Any detail companies feel up to the task?

Unfortunately, she didn't post any pictures, but I can imagine it was bad.

Mix 97.1 logo
Get our free mobile app
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
loading...

It's a real pain to clean.

Frozen pop is a real pain in the you-know-what to clean. My internet search didn't find any really great advice. One random Canadian forum from 2006 suggested things like taking it in the garage to warm up and then scrubbing/washing with soapy water. Another poster on the thread recommended using a hot-water extraction style cleaner, like the Bissel little green machine. Perhaps the best advice is to spend the money and pay for a professional auto detail. Reputable detailers know all the tricks and can clean the mess properly without damaging the interior finishes of your vehicle.

What Are the Signature Drinks From Every State?

 

More From Mix 97.1