Grooming For Summer
• Take a cool shower
• Use bathroom vents - Humidity caused by a shower can make your house feel warmer
• Dress for summer - Wear cotton, silk, or linen in light colors and loose styles
• Store lotions in the fridge - rub them on hot, overtired feet
Cooling the House
• Use a ceiling fan - It uses a lot less energy, costs less to buy, and doesn't require professional installation like air conditioning units
• Install attic vents - Since heat rises, having cooler air in your attic will help cool the rest of the house
• Park the car - If your garage is under your home, consider leaving your hot car outside to cool off before you put it in the garage
Chilling Your Body
• Exercise early or late - If you are used to exercising during the middle of the day, try to change your schedule so you can take advantage of the cooler temperatures earlier or later in the day. If you can't change your schedule, scale down your workout
• Keep water bottles in the freezer - Take one with you when you go out side. When the ice melts, it will give you a nice supply of cold water
• Move on - If all else fails, Replace an air-conditioned public building and spend some time there
For more tips, visit the Metro West Daily News.
6 comments
Susan
Backpacking tricks: tie a wet bandana around your neck; wear an overshirt (e.g. a blue chambray workshirt) over whatever else you are wearing…dip it in a creek or a sink – get it soaking wet and put it on. As the bandana and shirt gradually dry, the evaporation is very cooling. If it’s still hot out when they are dry, soak ’em again. Very cooling, and free, and no electricity!
Lisa MarK
Good post, of course! Thanks! As the electricity bills are soaring up, it is essential to be aware of utilizing energy in an efficient manner.
Air Conditioner
Michele
I'm going to try making some of those "cool ties" you wear on your neck. I've used them in the desert & they really help. There's lots of instructions online. Seems like they'd be great to have in your storage.
Check out my preparedness info:
http://singlemompreparedness.blogspot.com
millenniumfly
What about simple ideas such as staying indoors during the heat of the day, take frequent breaks, hydrate often, shade your head and neck, breathe through your nose (to help conserve water).
I would also suggest knowing the warning signs of heat exhaustion and stroke.
Also, here's an idea about using a cooler, fan, and chilled bottles of water to cool a small room:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apqg1ejRTqE
Emergency Essentials®
Jennifer – While a number of the suggestions listed in this post and in the article where we got the suggestions from would require some electricity, there are also some that don't. For example, wearing natural fibers or having attic vents installed.
Jennifer
Ok….so what about staying cool when there's no electricity at all??? I see articles like this EVERY summer, but NOTHING on staying cool if there's no electricity, due to power outages and whatnot.