I would like to read about other peoples ideas for getting cool during hot weather.
By eliza oliwa from Chevy Chase, MD
Wear loose-fitting clothing made of natural fibers -
Drink lots of fluids - like ice tea
Shield your windows from the sun -
Use a fan in your car or truck if it lacks A/C
Take advantage of natural ventilation to move air around.
Attic insulation or fans help keep a house cool.
If you have an AC unit, you can direct its flow with fans -
Close down some rooms of the house/apt. and use the cool rooms. (In NYC we used to have one AC in the bedroom and virtually live there all summer!)
You can put bowls of water and/or water with ice cubes in front of fans to make a mini-swamp cooler.
Use your microwave as opposed to the oven!
If you are very hot put on wet clothing and let it dry on you, as they do in the tropics.
If you like hot food, indulge, as chilies make you sweat, and cool you naturally.
Use a sun shield on your windshield when you park your car to reduce heat build up.
Stay in the shade - and make some with a parasol or awning.
And think cool! (04/27/2009)
By pam munro
When I am going to go for a walk or be out in the sun working I wet a wash cloth and then leave it in a wringed up shape and freeze it then take it with me as as it starts to thaw it is wonderful to lay around my neck to stay cool, I do this also with crushed ice in baggies if at concerts etc to stay cool. Or wet bandannas and do the same but put on your head as head wear to stay cool works for kids to in the hot sun. (04/27/2009)
By Julie
Inside or outside, a wet bathing suit helps to stay cool. Get in the shower, or get wet with a hose or even a play pool. (04/27/2009)
This brings to mind a story; my younger brother was about 8 years old. We had no air conditioning at the time. He would always go put on his heavy winter coat in the middle of July! My mother asked him why he was wearing a heavy coat when it was so hot. His reply was, "It's so cool when I take it off!" (04/27/2009)
By vickie guy
They sell a product that you put in the fridge overnight and then wrap around your neck when it's hot. It looks like a bandanna. I've seen my "horsey" friends wear them. If I'm out gardening I sometimes take a spray bottle with me and spray my face from time to time. We live way out in the country. (04/27/2009)
By Judi
I make my own ice bags for around my neck. I use a dish towel or hand towel, one that is long enough to go around my neck with enough left to over-lap a few inches. If the towel is narrow, I fold it in thirds lengthwise. If it is wide, I fold it in half, then in thirds. The center 8" is for ice, so I sew a line of stitching across the strip on each side of the 8" mark.
By Joy
Drink lots of water, splash your face and arms with cool water, and don't eat a lot of greasy food. (04/28/2009)
By Sandra
That bandana thing that Glenn's Mom said she has seen? I bought one for myself a couple of years ago. What a waste of money! When it's wet the thing weighs a ton! Sure it kept me cold, but in the meantime I got an ache in my neck and shoulders to beat all!
I keep a spray bottle with me that sprays a mist. When I get hot I spray my face, arms and legs. Even lift my shirt up and spray my belly and back. I also do the same for my dogs. I spray their bellies and faces too. (05/04/2009)
By Cricket
My house is situated on the lot so that the front of the house gets the full force of the sun in the afternoon. Needless to say it gets so hot it wilts any plants I put in front of those windows. So I put up room darkening film on my windows----the darkest they make. I used to use dark curtains but then I feel like I'm in a dungeon all summer. The film works just as good without the dungeon feeling. I also put up room darkening screening. That way on days when I can open the windows, it's not so bad. (05/04/2009)
By Cricket
I mow my lawn daily (we have almost 2 acres and I do it in sections, one section a day) using a power push mower. I do this for the exercise. But when the weather gets too hot, I make a slight change. I put my bathing suit on with shorts (at my age the neighbors don't need to see me just in my bathing suit). I wet myself down all over wiith either a shower or the hose and mow while I'm wet.
By the way, I found the best sunscreen I've ever used. And I'm sensitive to sunburn. It's a sport performance SPF 50. I haven't had the slightest burn since I started using it! (05/04/2009)
By Cricket
I lived without airconditioning for years - didn't like it, but my house didn't have it. Some of the things I did was use a window fan - not the kind you buy at Wal-Mart (they're too little). If you can find one of the older ones (the old green kind - made of metal - about 40 years old), those are the best. If you do use one of those types of fans, don't open the windows all the way, one or two in every room open about 5 or 6 inches creates a nice air flow. An attic fan would be even better. Do most of your housework or yard work in the early morning or evening when it's cool. You might have to shower a couple of times a day on very, very hot days. Be sure to use lots of baby powder afterwards. Do not wear polyester or polyester blends as they tend to be hot. Wear natural cotton as much as possible.
On very, very hot days plan to go shopping where there is air conditioning or somewhere like Barnes and Noble where you can sit and read for a while. I used to go for a drive in my air conditioned car until it got cool.
I always have to have something covering me when I sleep, so a sheet worked very nicely.
In the evening, I would take a cool shower, use the baby powder and go to bed in front of my window with the summer breeze blowing across me. To this day, I prefer that rather than a colder air conditioned room.
The other ideas of wearing wet clothes are good also. If I absolutely had to mow the lawn, sometimes I'd leave the hose running and every five minutes or so, I'd go hose down - it was very effective in keeping me cool.
Another thing I noticed is when I'd come in very hot after mowing, water would make me nauseous. I'd need to drink koolaid with sugar or juice. However, if you're not working that hard, sweetened drinks do tend to make you hotter. For normal thirst, the best thing is water or tea or a light juice. Sweetened sodas will make you feel hotter. (05/05/2009)
By Noella
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