Why Summer Temps Have Made This Popular Kids' Toy An Unexpected Hot Car Danger

Ever grab a hot steering wheel that's been baking in the sun? Now imagine if the hot steering wheel grabbed you and didn't let go. This is the sort of scenario people are dealing with as summer temperatures have made a popular kids' toy an unexpected hot car danger.

NeeDoh fidget blobs can offer sensory relief from stress or anxiety, the maker, Schylling, says on its website. But they're not designed to cope with extreme temperatures, according to the warning on the box. On a warm day under the sun, your dashboard can reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, University of Florida Health confirmed that the interior of a sun-baked car can hit 100 degrees within half an hour even on a mild, 75-degree day. Stanford University research showed that within an hour, the temperature inside a car rises an average of 40 degrees.

So it's not surprising that whatever's lying around in the interior can be damaged or become dangerous due to heat. That can include common objects you might leave behind, or that your child might leave behind, like milk-filled sippy cups and toys — such as a delightfully squishy NeeDoh fidget blob. Left to simmer in a car, NeeDoh innards can transform into little lava bombs and cause serious skin damage if the blobs burst. This has to do not only with the temperature of the material but also with its chemical makeup.

The NeeDoh box warning is there because science dictates that the soft, pliable thermoplastic rubber shells can begin to destabilize when exposed to such thermal variation. Then, the magical glob of goop inside a NeeDoh can leak out. Depending on which NeeDoh you get, that goop is either polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) — the same water-soluble stuff that coats pills — or maltose, which is a doughy sugar used in cooking that retains heat.

The goop also sticks to skin like tar, continuing to burn as long as it remains hot. News outlets nationwide have chronicled NeeDoh burn incidents, some fueled by a social media trend that actively defies NeeDoh warning labels. Meanwhile, KRQE reported that a New Mexico teen suffered third-degree burns resulting from a NeeDoh left in a hot car for several hours. 

Unfortunately, the climate isn't helping mitigate the dangers. Spokane, Washington was recently devastated by wildfires. Europe is still burning, and much of the Southern U.S. is facing extreme temperatures into triple digits, even as we edge toward September. To put a 160-degree dashboard in perspective, water causes third-degree burns within one second at 156 degrees – it takes five seconds at 140 degrees. Given the forecast and how little time it takes for interiors to sun bake, it's not only possible for the things inside your car to reach temperatures high enough to scald; it's probable.

Obviously, hot car conditions don't end with summer. And depending on where you live, this could be a year-round concern. When temperatures rise, there's a science trick to cool a scorching interior. And once you're underway, there are tips to keep your AC blowing cold. None of that will rapidly remedy a hot squish toy that's been left to bake in the back seat or center console. We're generalizing here because although NeeDohs have dominated recent headlines, they are just one of several popular squish toy brands.

If you like to knead a NeeDoh or similar fidget toy on the road, or you're shuttling around kids who do, remember to take toys like the NeeDoh with you. Or, if you can resist, don't bring them in the car in the first place. That said, anyone with kids knows that they are deft smugglers of beloved toys and notorious for leaving things behind.

Smelly spills are one thing. Accidents are another, and burns are serious business. To help brush up on some basics, the Mayo Clinic offers tips for administering first aid to someone with burns, while A+ Urgent Care in New Jersey provides more specific, in-depth information for dealing with squish toy burns. Knowing what to do — and what not to do — if things go sideways with a hot NeeDoh can help you manage the situation with a cooler head.