As temperatures soar, getting into a car that has been baking in the sun can be unbearable. But a TikTok user with 128,000 followers, known as Capturing Cars, has shared a simple trick to speed up the cooling process: using the recirculation button.
The button, which shows a car with an arrow looping inside, shuts off the vents to the outside, trapping the air already in the vehicle. According to the TikToker, this allows the air conditioning to cool the interior more efficiently by recirculating already-cooled air, rather than drawing in hot air from outside.
However, the expert warns that the button should not be used on damp days or when the car is fogging up, as it traps humidity inside, exacerbating condensation on windows. He notes that modern cars automatically deactivate recirculation when the windscreen demister is on.
Commenters on the video added other uses for the feature, such as keeping out exhaust fumes in traffic or unpleasant smells from manure on country roads. But one user cautioned against leaving it on for long journeys, as it could deplete oxygen and cause drowsiness.
