The Pacific NW is experiencing a heat wave right now, with record breaking temperatures. Portland, Oregon broke a record on Friday (108° F) and another one on Saturday (112° F). Today is expected to break another record, with a forecast of 115° F! It was hotter here than in Las Vegas this weekend.
As this area usually is temperate, most homes don't have central air built in and people are not prepared for this sort of heat. May businesses have closed or adjusted their hours to take advantage of the cooler hours. There are cooling and water stations everywhere.
People are getting creative in their ways to stay cool, especially as stores run out of A/C units, box fans and even ice. What are some frugal alternatives to staying cool during a heat wave? Please share your brainstorms with us.
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Only open windows early in the morning to let the cool air in. Check what the outside temperature is and make sure that it is cooler than what it is inside your house.
Space blankets work well too. And if you have shady trees, that can help a lot but that is planning for a future heat wave. :)
My go to was always taking an old fashioned box fan, putting it in the window of the room in my house that was the coolest, and setting it so that it did not push air into the room, but pulled air out...so backward of the way that would push air in. This way it pulled the warm air out of my space and moved it outside.
Fill dollar-store spray bottles with cold water and frequently spritz the front and back of your neck, under your arms, behind your knees.
Blocking sun light can also keep your home cooler. Cooler meals ,drinks and desserts, will make your body feel cooler, during a heat wave.
Before covid when it was super hot, I would go window shopping (simple as near by Target) or the mall to enjoy the air conditioning and get some steps in.
Ways to stay cool now..
How to Keep Cool without Air Conditioning
Step 1
Put a wet washcloth around your neck
Step 2
Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan
Step 3
Sit in front of that fan with your feet in a pail of cool water
Step 4
Avoid drinks with caffeine
Step 5
Avoid strenuous work during the hottest parts of the day
Step 6
Take cool, not cold, showers
Step 7
Put your sheets in the freezer
Great ideas Judy, also investing in an icebag - they are so blissful
Staying cool.
For the house: After the day cools off into night and it's cooler outside than indoors, open two bigger windows. If you have two box fans or good size floor or table fans, place one in a window blowing outside and one in a window blowing inside. This will help remove the hot air from in the house by blowing it outside, while drawing cooler air indoors. Make sure to close windows before it gets hotter outside than indoors. Also close all curtains or hang blankets in front of windows to keep the sun from heating up any rooms. If you have or can buy a dehumidifier, run that to take moisture out of the air...it will help cool the house down -just remember to keep doors and windows closed when using the dehumidifier. It will have a collection tank that will need emptying, so if you are not going to be at home all day, place the unit on a counter and let it drain it into a sink.
There's probably lots more ideas, but these were the first to come to mind. Stay hydrated and safe
i have multiple battery operated fans. my area frequently loses power. so i have 6 battery fans. i can take them in a different room if needed.
i leave most of my cieling fans on all the time. it cuts down on humidty.
even air cleaners like hepa filters etc. they at least clean the air and they move it a bit. i feel they help keep the air dehumidified.
We survived the heat wave last week. The top temperature was My husband and I got a large wading pool and filled it with water. Every afternoon, we would refill it and push out any leaves, bugs or other debris that may have gotten into the pool. We would mostly just sit in the shade with our feet in the water but I got all the way in on the hottest day. It was surprisingly refreshing.
A lot of my friends turned their hot tubs down to the lowest setting. Even at 99 degrees F, the water felt cooler than the air, which hit a high of 114. It was great for cooling down the kids, as well as sprinklers which have the added benefit of cooling down the air.
We made sure that all the doors and windows were closed and we avoided going in and out of the house during the heat of the day. One morning, I forgot to close the kitchen window and it felt like an oven when I walked in about noon.
If possible, avoid doing laundry or using appliances that use a lot of power during a heat wave. The added power with everyone using their A/C can cause a burden on the power grid. This can result in brownouts or blackouts in certain areas. If you do experience a loss of power, do NOT open your fridge or freezer in order to keep it cold as long as possible.
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