If you’re like many drivers, your glove box is a mess. It might be the go-to storage place for anything and everything that can fit inside.
But you might also want to know what should not, under any circumstances, be in your glove box. Keep reading to learn about 16 things you should never store in your glove compartment. If you have any of these things in yours — and you probably do — you’ll want to relocate them.
Vehicle Registration
Most drivers keep their car registration in the glove compartment. Big mistake! Keep a copy in your wallet. If a thief steals your vehicle with the car registration inside, the bad actor will have your name, address, and telephone number. That’ll open you up to ID theft risks and more.
Spare Keys
This one’s a no-brainer. Don’t leave keys for your car or house in the glove compartment. Doing so will make things convenient for a car thief who can drive your car, get to your home using the information on the car registration, and then let themselves into your home using a spare key.
Receipts
It’s convenient to stuff receipts in the glove compartment, but that could be your undoing if the receipts contain personal information like your credit card details. It’s not worth the risk.
Garage Door Opener
Many motorists leave their garage door openers somewhere in their vehicles. But leaving it in your vehicle can be like giving strangers the keys to the kingdom if they steal your vehicle. They can use your garage door opener to enter your garage and potentially force their way into your home.
Credit Cards
It might be tempting to store credit cards in your glove box, especially if you don’t have space in your wallet. But that can open you up to risks you don’t want to deal with. Instead of placing extra credit cards in your car, leave them in a safe space at home.
List of Important Phone Numbers
Yes, you’ll want easy access to vital phone numbers in an emergency. But keep that list on your smartphone — not in an address book stored in your glove compartment.
Vehicle Title
You shouldn’t store your vehicle title in your glove box or anywhere else in your car. A car thief can use your vehicle title to manufacture fake titles, making your life harder than necessary.
Wallet
For obvious reasons, your wallet belongs in your pocket or purse. While it might seem like a good idea to hide your wallet in the glove compartment, it’s not a good idea. Keep your wallet on your person.
Valuables
You’ll want to exercise caution when it comes to your valuables. So, don’t leave your smartphone, watch, jewelry, or anything else you hold dear in the glove box. It’ll be one of the first places a criminal will look if they steal your car.
Checkbook
Do you fancy handing crooks a blank check? That’s what you might be doing if you leave your checkbook anywhere in your car — let alone the glove compartment..
Aerosol Cans
The glove compartment might seem like a convenient place to store aerosol cans, but doing so is unsafe. Aerosol cans may explode if exposed to extreme heat or cold. Imagine that happening when you’re driving on the highway!
Batteries
Extra batteries might make sense if you have a flashlight or tire inflator in your car, but remember that extreme heat is a no-no for batteries. In those conditions, batteries can leak acid. That’ll cause a mess and potentially damage other things in your glove box.
Medicine
You should store medicine in a location between 59 and 77 degrees F. So, leaving it in the glove box is a no-no, especially during the coldest and hottest seasons.
Lotions and Cosmetics
Do you like to keep hand lotion or makeup in your glove compartment? Extreme temperatures can lessen the effectiveness of these products. Instead, keep them in your backpack or purse.
Napkins
Some mechanics recommend not storing napkins or other lightweight paper in your glove compartment. Why? If your vehicle’s blower motor is sealed improperly, it could suck in any lightweight paper products in your glove box and cause issues.
Important Documents
You should also avoid keeping important documents in your glove box. That means finding a safer place for income tax documents and bank statements.
Be Careful About What You Store in Your Glove Box
If your car has a glove box, be careful what you store there. It’s a versatile compartment, but that doesn’t mean everything and anything should be in it.
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