Feeling frazzled by the heat? Avoid a summer melt-down with our top tips for keeping your cool through the hottest months, even without aircon.
1. Don’t save your hot water bottle for cosying up in the winter months. Stick it in the freezer to create an instant bed chiller.
2. Push out the hot air – no that doesn’t mean getting rid of an overly talkative spouse. Point a fan toward the window and it will push hot air out. Adjust ceiling fans so blades run anti-clockwise to pull hot air up and out, instead of just blowing it around the room.
3. Make a DIY aircon by filling a baking tray with ice and setting it in front of a fan. The fan will blow cool air around the room and create a cool mist from the water as the ice melts.
4. To cool down fast, apply ice packs to pulse points – wrists, ankles, neck, groin and back of the knees.
5. Don’t dry out. Dehydaration can make you feel even hotter so make sure you drink plenty of water. For a better night’s sleep drink a small glass of water just before bed and you will be less likely to wake up sweating. Don’t drink too much though as you’ll wake up for a night run to the bathroom, which kind of defeats the object.
6. Hang a wet sheet in front of a window to cool a room. The breeze blowing on the wet fabric will quickly drop the room’s temperature.
7. Get cold feet. Feet and ankles have many pulse points and you can cool the whole body just by dunking your feet in a bowl of cold water.
8. How low can you go? Hot air rises so stay low. If you live in a house, try sleeping downstairs where it will be cooler.
9. Try a buckwheat pillow. It doesn’t absorb heat like cotton so can help keep you cool at night.
10. Make a cold compress with rice. Fill a small bag, or even a clean sock, with rice and put it in the freezer for around an hour. It will stay cold for around 30 minutes.