Summer is here and the temperatures are rising fast. Don’t let the high temperatures get you down though. There are plenty of ways to keep yourself and your home cool and comfortable this summer with or without air conditioning.
Turning down the air conditioning is certainly one way to stay cool in the summer heat, but not everyone has that option. Some homes and apartments don’t have air conditioning, or they may not be able to afford the high energy costs of running it much. That’s okay though because there are plenty of ways that you can beat the heat.
Make Your Own Air Conditioner
That’s right, you can beat the heat by making your own air conditioner and it’s really simple too. Take a bowl or a roasting pan and fill it with ice, then place the bowl or pan in front of a fan. As the ice begins to melt, the fan will blow an icy cool breeze in your direction.
Another do it yourself air conditioner can be made by taking a wet, but not dripping sheet, and hanging it in front of an open door or window. As the breeze from the opening comes in it will cool off both you and the room.
Change Your Sheets
Change your sheets to a light-colored lightweight fabric like cotton for the summer months. Fleece and flannel blankets can keep you warm through the winter, but that is not what you need when it’s hot. Save the satin, silk, and polyester sheets for when the temperatures cool back down as well.
You may want to consider changing your pillow for a summer version as well. Cotton and down pillows are wonderful during the cooler temperatures, but they absorb and hold heat. Try swapping your pillow for a buckwheat pillow for the warmer months, and your head will feel much cooler.
Stay Hydrated
It is important to make sure that you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water no matter what time of year it is, but it is especially important during the summertime. It is important to replace any of the fluids that you may be losing through perspiration when it is hot. Drinking cool water or fruit juices can help to make you feel cooler as well.
Keep Your Beauty Products in the Refrigerator
During the summer months take your body lotion, toner, moisturizers, and eye creams and keep them in your refrigerator. Not only will they cool you down a bit when you use them, but it may actually make your products last longer. Especially, if you live in a particularly hot or humid climate. You can also put your perfume or body spray in the refrigerator for the summer, and make sure to keep some aloe in there as well. That way you will always be ready for a sunburn.
Eat Something Spicy
This one may seem counterintuitive but eating spicy foods that make you break out into a sweat, helps to keep you cooler. Spicy foods like chilies and curries set off heat receptors in your mouth which is where the spicy flavor comes in. Once those heat receptors in your mouth are firing they raise your internal temperature and increase your circulation, which will cause you to sweat. The sweat on your skin will then cool you down.
Eat Light
When you aren’t eating something spicy hot to cool down, try keeping your meals light and easy. Eating a heavy meal can make you feel especially uncomfortable when the temperatures are soaring. Instead opt for lighter meals like sandwiches, wraps, salads, and smoothies that will keep you feeling cool. Bonus: Not eating a heavy meal that is cooking intensive, means that you won’t be heating the house with your stove or oven either.
Cold Rice Pack
One way to cool yourself down quickly is to cool down the pulse points on your wrists, neck, elbows, backs of the knees, and ankles. One way to do this is to take a sock filled with rice and tied closed out of the freezer and to place it on your pulse points while you cool down. You can also use a cold, wet washcloth on these pulse points if you don’t have a rice pack available.
Close the Curtains
If you are trying to keep your home or apartment cooler, make sure to close your blinds and drapes. The sun coming in your windows can generate a lot of heat and once it has gotten hot inside it can take some work to cool it back down. You can keep the temperature in your home up to 20 degrees cooler just by keeping the blinds and curtains closed.
Turn Off the Lights
Turn off the lights when you leave a room, not only will it help to keep your energy costs lower, but it will also help to keep you cooler. Light bulbs put off more heat than you might realize and so do electronics like laptops, tablets, TVs, and phone chargers. Consider plugging these items into a surge protector that you can switch off easily when you leave the house, or they aren’t in use.
Spray Bottle with Water
Keep a spray bottle with water handy, and you may even consider keeping one in the refrigerator. You can get small ones that you can put in your backpack, purse, or pocket. A little spritz of water can go a long way towards making you feel cooler, especially if you find a breeze to go with it.
Use these tips to help keep you and your home cooler this summer whether you have air conditioning available or not. All of the tips above will help to make you feel more comfortable all the way through the long, hot days of summer.
Allison Manning has been working as a content creator, and ghostwriter for more than 10 years. She is the owner of Simply Stunning Content and has a passion for helping bloggers and other authors find their voice so that their content is simply stunning as well.