Tucson living means once you leave the comfort of your air-conditioned house, you’ll be attacked by the blazing sun, which will similarly bake the interior of your car to alarming temperature levels.

After just a few minutes in your oven on wheels, you’ll probably need to take another shower. And be careful, as your seatbelt will probably leave a burn mark on your arm.

If you don’t have the luxury of a garage or covered parking, here are some tips to keep the sun — and wear-and-tear on your AC system — at bay.

Find a tree
Sure, this is the desert, but hard-working landscapers have spent hours planting trees all over Arizona to camouflage the brownness of the desert. Parking under a tree, even if it more closely resembles a scrawny shrub, will help, because some shade is better than no shade.

Splurge on a sunshade
Trying to break down one of these indestructible monsters is time-consuming, but it really cuts down on the heat while protecting the interior of your car.

Vent before A/C
When you get into your car, roll down the windows to allow the hot air to vent out quickly. Once you’ve cruised for a while, set the air conditioning to full blast: with the hot air out of the car, the cool air can circulate efficiently.

Tint your windows
Window tint is the most helpful of all, as it blocks thermal rays from entering your car. Thermal rays are produced by sunlight and cause interior spaces heat up. Effectiveness varies with the shade of tint desired.