Can Hand Sanitizer Explode in a Hot Car?

Can Hand Sanitizer self-ignite in your Vehicle on Hot Weather Days? You may have seen this viral picture circulating online of serious damage to a vehicle’s driver's side door *supposedly* caused by "hand sanitizer igniting in a hot vehicle." This was all according to the Western Lakes Fire District in Wisconsin…they’ve since deleted the post. Given that when the outdoor temperature is just 80 degrees…after only 60 minutes in direct sunlight, the temperature inside your car can rocket to a blistering 123 degrees! So, it begs the question, can your hand sanitizer self-ignite in your hot car? To get answers, we went right to the source…GoJo Industries…they’re the makers of Purell. In a statement, here’s what senior director of corporate communications for GOJO, Samantha Williams, had to say… PURELL® Hand Sanitizer is safely shipped all over the world…and often experiences extreme temperature storage conditions in automobiles, trucks, boats…and aircraft. While PURELL® Hand Sanitizer contains 70% alcohol and is considered flammable, it will not self-ignite. Even under extremely high temperatures, a high concentration of ethanol vapors and an ignition source (such as a spark or flame) would need to be present to cause a fire, not an explosion. In other words, if you plan on using hand sanitizer, make sure you are NOT using it close to a flame such as a cigarette, grill or candle which CAN be a fire hazard. You do NOT need to worry about your hand sanitizer self-igniting, so feel free to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in your car and use it regularly to kill harmful germs.