With the summer upon us, we can expect to have some hot days ahead. Unfortunately, we are not blessed with central air in our home so we have to make due with other ways to beat the heat. Sometimes its too busy or hot to even go out to the lake/beach to beat the heat.
More often than not, heat waves are generally short lived, thankfully! But what is a family to do to help beat the heat, especially in your home?
Here is a list of some natural/DIY ways to keep the heat at bay.
Fans
This one is a give-in. Who doesn’t have a fan going during a heat wave, right? Well did you know, that in order for fans to have an effect in the summer, ceiling fans need to be going in a counter clockwise direction, to push the cool air downward?
You can also get a container of ice and place it in front of your table top/floor fan. The cool moisture from the ice will be dispersed around the room by the fan creating a cooler environment.
** Energy Saving Tip: Turn off fans, when leaving a room. Fans cool people not spaces due to the wind chill effect. Therefore they will have no effect on the room temperature and there is no point leaving them on.
If the outside temperature is hotter than inside the house, keep your windows closed. Using a reversible window fan can be helpful to suck hot air out of the house during the day and bring cool air into the house at night.
I honestly survive by these window fans, especially at night when the outside air is cooler. They are a sleep saver!
Block The Sun
Tilt your blinds upward to block the sun coming in. Tilting them upward (front edge of the blind upward) usually provides more privacy, lets less light into the room and minimizes heat transfer into the room. Pointing your blinds downward lets more light into the room but does provide the most aesthetic benefit.
Close your blinds and shades during the day, when the sun is shining. The darker in the room, the better. Better yet, invest in black out thermal insulated curtains and ones with the reflective backing to reflect the sun out.
Practice Some Cooling Self-Care
- Taking a shower (just not too hot) helps your body cool down. Then let your hair dry naturally, to prolong the cooling effect on your body as using a blow dryer will just heat you up again.
- Soaking your feet in a cool foot bath.
- Drink Coconut Water
- Use peppermint essential oil on your body to create a wonderful cooling sensation. Drink hot or cold peppermint tea. Hot tea may help you sweat more and help cool your body down.
- Put Aloe vera on your body, especially if you are burt. Aloe Vera has a cooling effect on your body.
Tip: Store Aloe in the fridge for an added cooling effect when you apply it. - Practice Sitali Breathing. It has a cooling and relaxing effect on our body and mind
Avoid Using The Stove
Using appliances that produce heat (oven/stove/toaster oven/dishwasher with heat heat setting on) will add to the internal temperature in your home and it will just be uncomfortable to cook anyway. During a heat wave plan for cool easy meals or use outdoor cooking methods like the BBQ.
Modern Mama has put together a few blog posts with easy quick heat-wave approved meal ideas. “5 filling no cook summer meals” and “6 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas For Hot Summer Nights”
When all else fails, head for your local department store or mall to plan to do your inside shopping errands on the hottest days.
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