As pretty much all of us continue to melt from the temperatures of the past week or so, below are a few simple suggestions on how to defeat the heat.
For those with air conditioning, it’s as easy as turning it on and not worrying about the electrical bill.
However, don’t forget to close windows and doors or else the heat will creep in to replace the cool air. In addition, if your air conditioner isn’t connected to the central air system, run a fan in conjunction with the air conditioner on a lower setting. The fan will blow the air and make you feel cooler as the sweat evaporates.
As well, attempt to strategically fan the home by getting the heat trapped inside and moving it outside. The easiest method is to put a fan by an open window with the blades facing so as to suck the warm air out and pull in cooler air.
And, don’t forget to clean or replace the filter in the air conditioner — be it an in-room or central air type — about once a month.
For those of us without air conditioning, coming up with a makeshift air conditioner using a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan can help alleviate the heat. Although, don’t try it when if it’s humid outside or it will just feel stickier.
One of my favourite ways to bust through the heat wave is to cool off through hydration.
Big freezies, popsicles, cold ice water and different kinds of melons help by not only cooling down the body’s internal temperature, but by replacing the moisture lost when you sweat. So, that translates into having more water to generate sweat and help keep you cool.
As well, eating light will assist in staying cool as you won’t feel sluggish and filled to the gills. And by doing this, the house will stay cooler as you give the oven a bit of a vacation. The best bet if you want to do some cooking is the microwave or the outside barbecue.
Also to help keep from heating up the house anymore, keep the lights shut off, skip the drying cycle on the dishwasher and turn off the computer. Better yet, change the light bulbs to more energy efficient ones that produce only about one-third the heat than standard bulbs and do the dishes by hand.
Blocking the sun will also prevent the house from heating up too much, but a good trick to halt the heat rays plus cool down the house — especially if there is even a slight breeze — is to hang a damp sheet in an open window as the air is cooled down as it enters the home.
While the best way to evaporate sweat is directly from the skin to the air, it’s usually frowned upon to walk around with nothing on so dressing right is a big key.
Synthetic wick-away fabrics will help take away the sticky feeling, although light coloured thin cotton will do the job nicely too. And if you can, get rid of the shoes and socks as the blood in the feet will cool and transport that to the rest of the body.
Lastly, take any old spray bottle — just make sure you clean it first — and fill it with cool or cold water then squirt yourself. The water will evaporate and cool the body, but start on your wrists as it will quickly cool off the blood as it passes through.
Well, with that said, I’m off to find some place nice and cool to escape the heat.
But that is…just an observation.