Hand sanitisers used in the fight against Covid-19 are potentially flammable if left in warm vehicles, experts claim.

With a mini-heatwave hitting York this week, experts at CE Safety are alerting people to the potential fire risk in vehicles caused by alcohol-based hand sanitisers.

In the past week, NHS staff have also been told to remove all alcohol-based hand sanitisers from their cars in case of fire, after similar incidents have been reported.

With the weather getting warmer, rising temperatures can cause the alcohol in the sanitiser to evaporate, and this can result in flammable vapours being released, the experts say.

These vapours are reacting at their “flashpoint” and then can ignite in the event of a spark, setting fire to flammable components within the car.

On a very hot day, significant pressure could also build up inside a bottle of hand sanitiser, causing it to rupture. There have been examples of hand sanitiser bottles which had been left in a hot car exploding, it is claimed.

A spokesperson for health and safety company CE Safety said: “Our advice is to remove alcohol-based hand sanitisers when the British public leave their cars.

“If it is 25C outside, the estimated vehicle interior air temperature can reach up to 50C if left for a couple of hours. So, it is no surprise to see pictures circulating on social media showing severely damaged vehicles due to hand sanitiser bottles that had ignited inside a vehicle sitting in direct sunlight.”

The spokesperson added: “As hand hygiene is one of the most effective methods of tackling coronavirus, we recommend continuing to use hand sanitiser as part of your hygiene routine where soap and water can’t be used.

“But please bear in mind that there may be a fire risk if the alcohol-based hand sanitiser is left in the car.

“One alternative solution might be to use disposable gloves whilst in the car which may remove the need for hand sanitiser. Just remember to throw them away immediately after use.”