Whether you’re losing power, enduring extreme heat, or trying to save money, there are ways to feel more comfortable without artificial cooling. Here’s how to beat the summer heat that affects your body and your home.
The heat can encourage summer activities, but the body should not stay warm for too long, as overheating can damage the brain and other organs, according to the US National Institutes of Health. Sweating is the body’s natural cooling system, but if it’s not enough, there’s a greater risk of developing heat-related illnesses like hyperthermia — symptoms of which include heat cramps, heatstroke, and heat stroke.
By using a few basic items and knowing how to manipulate your home to control the temperature, you can stay cool. Here are 14 ways to do just that.
Stay hydrated
According to Wendell Porter, senior lecturer in agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Florida, when you’re warm and clean, staying hydrated is the first and most important step toward staying cool.
The temperature of the water doesn’t matter because your body will heat it up, he adds. If your body is affected by the heat and needs to cool down, it can’t do without adequate hydration because the body cools itself through sweat.
Take a cool bath or shower
Taking a cold shower or bath helps cool the body by lowering core temperature, says Porter.
For an extra cooling sensation, use peppermint soap. The menthol in peppermint oil activates brain receptors that tell your body that you are eating or feeling cold.
Apply a cold cloth to your neck or wrists
Place a cold kitchen towel or ice cubes on your wrists or wrap them around your neck to cool your body. These pulse points are areas where blood vessels are closest to the skin, so it cools faster.
Use fans
Use fans outside the windows of the rooms where you spend time to blow warm air and cool air from inside.
If the morning and night temperatures in your area drop by 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, opening windows on both sides of the house during these times will facilitate a cross-flow ventilation system. If you do, you can choose whether or not to use fans, but Porter says they can help cool the house faster. Warm air from your home is pulled from outside, bringing cooler temperatures or wind. Close the windows when the sun comes out and open them when the weather cools down again.
Resting near a fan can also lower your body temperature.
Close your curtains or blinds
If you have windows that face the sun from morning to afternoon, close curtains or blinds “to prevent the sun from coming directly into the house and heating the interior,” says Porter.
You can install “blackout” curtains to insulate the room and reduce temperature rise during the day.
If you turn on the air conditioning, don’t set it below 21 degrees Celsius in an attempt to cool the house down faster, says Samantha Hall, managing director of Australia-based design firm Space Alive, which helps design buildings. and stable. “It takes a long time to reach that temperature, and it keeps doing it until you start to feel a little cold, and then it’s hard to balance,” she adds. Instead, keep the temperature of the devices as high as possible until you are comfortable.
Sleep with breathable sheets
Cotton is one of the most breathable materials, so cotton sheets or blankets can help keep you cool throughout the night.
Porter says that the fewer cotton threads, the more breathable the sheet. This is because a higher thread count means more weave per square inch.
Sleep in the basement
If you can’t sleep at night because it’s too hot, try sleeping somewhere other than your bedroom. Warm air rises, so if your home has a lower floor or basement, set up a temporary sleeping area to enjoy cooler temperatures at night.
Do not refrigerate or freeze blankets or clothing
Common tips for staying cool without air conditioning include freezing wet socks, blankets, or clothing in the cooler or refrigerator, then wearing them while you sleep. But that’s not a good idea, says Porter.
Due to the amount of power [esses artigos] Can absorb from your body overnight, [eles] They’ll heat up in a few minutes,” he declares. You definitely don’t want to do that.”
Close unused bedroom doors
If no one is using a room without vents or fans, close the door to that area to keep fresh air only to occupied areas of the house.
Use an extractor hood in your kitchen and/or bathroom
Turn the hood switch in your kitchen to pull in hot air that rises after cooking, or in your bathroom to remove steam after a shower.
Install energy efficient light bulbs
Incandescent lamps produce higher temperatures than LED lamps. To make the switch, focus on selling energy-efficient light bulbs, then gradually change the lights in your home, Porter suggests.
He says that changing light bulbs can save money but not reduce overheating in the home. However, if you focus on changing the lighting in areas close to where you usually are, it can make a more noticeable difference, Porter says.
Cook in the slow cooker or outside in the morning
The heat from the stove will radiate into your home. Keep the heat centered in one area, such as a slow cooker. Or cook on the rotisserie to retain heat outside.
Enjoy frozen delights
Having an ice cream to cool down will help for a moment. But don’t overdo it if the sugar is superheated or there’s a risk of overheating, says Porter. “Sugar will speed up your metabolism and you’ll start to feel hot internally,” she explains. “So fresh candy may be good, but no added sugar.”
Check out what the state has to offer
If you’ve tried everything and still can’t cool down the heat in your home, check out any local ductless air conditioning program online.
Depending on your location, some cooling centers — public, air-conditioned facilities where people can go for relief in extremely hot weather — can make sure they’re open and as safe as possible. You can start by checking with your local utility offices, they know who offers certain programs, Porter suggests.
