Why store your car keys in the microwave?

In the modern world, almost every family has its own car, and sometimes several. Purchasing a car is quite a serious purchase, because in addition to the initial investment, there will certainly be expenses for diagnostics and troubleshooting.

In addition, many car owners, regardless of the age of their car, are afraid of theft or theft of certain components.

Why put your car keys in the microwave overnight?

Sometimes scammers work so cleanly that they don’t even leave damage to the car, which frightens car owners even more. For example, a whole wave of thefts swept across Britain in 2017: about 89 thousand owners lost their cars. It is not surprising that inventive Europeans came up with their own methods of protection, albeit not entirely ordinary ones.

Now almost every car is equipped with a contactless access system, which allows you to start the engine or open the car doors by simply pressing a button on the key fob, while being at a decent distance from it. Undoubtedly, it is very convenient. Especially in the cold season, when it is necessary to warm up the car before the start of the trip. But contactless access also has several disadvantages:

• the battery in the key fob may suddenly die and deprive you of access to the car;
• The signal radius will not be sufficient for the distance you are at.

But the second drawback can turn into a real problem, because with the help of special devices it can be expanded not only by the owner himself, but also by hijackers. These devices lengthen the signal and increase the range of the radio wave. One part of the device is located near the car, and the second is located near the intended location of the key fob, for example, at the front door, because many people store their keys in the corridor. Thus, fraudsters cover the distance from the house to the car and gain access to the car without much effort.

Special key safes and other devices help protect yourself from this type of scam, but they cannot be found everywhere. You can use household appliances instead: any appliance that blocks radio waves due to its internal insulation will do. Of course, you can just wrap the keys in a couple of layers of aluminum foil, but it’s much easier to just put the key fob in the refrigerator or microwave overnight, and in the morning go about your business as if nothing had happened.

Important! In the case of a microwave, the main thing is not to accidentally use it for its intended purpose while the keys are inside.

Is it harmful for my keys to be in the microwave?

Many people are still concerned about the question of whether microwave radiation is harmful and how it affects heated food and the human body as a whole. At one time in the USSR and Germany, these devices were even banned for the following reasons:

• It was believed that waves affect the molecular composition of food;
• Electromagnetic waves have a great impact on the human body;
• In food heated in a microwave oven, many beneficial substances turn into carcinogens.

But today, all manufacturers use high-quality insulating materials that ensure reliability and reduce the harmful effects of the device. In addition, radiation affects objects inside the microwave oven only when it produces direct heating, which means that the keys are safe in a non-working device and this does not harm them at all.