How To Stay Cool During A Heat Wave

It’s July and here in Upstate New York we have just started to get some really hot weather with high humidity.  It’s very challenging to stay cool without an air conditioner and with humidity levels like this, but it isn’t impossible. Here are a few things that we do to try to stay cool.

1. Purchase a fan, preferably at a garage sale and use that in the room where you will be spending the most time.  Fans work to cool our body by evaporating the moisture on our skin. I can comfortably tolerate 80+ degree temperatures as long as I have a fan in the room.
2. Open all you windows in the evening and let the cool air into your house.  If there is no breeze, you can stick on your fans and place them right in front of an open window and pull the cool air into your house.
3. Close up your windows in the morning before it gets to hot out. Close the shades as well to keep the hot sun out.
4. Make your own Popsicles and eat them in the heat of the day.  I also like to make frozen smoothies for the afternoon. They are cold, refreshing and healthy.
5. Still can’t cool off? Take a cool shower or just soak your feet in a cold bucket of water.
6. Visit a friends pool or you local free swimming area.
7. Remember, the most important thing you can do is stay hydrated!  Your body is going to be using a lot of fluids to cool you down. If you don’t keep them replenished, your still exhibiting symptoms of heat related illnesses.
8. Eat cool salads for dinner and try not to bake or cook on really hot days.
9. Do your hardest work in the early morning while it is still cool.

You maybe wondering if I even own an air conditioner. The answer is yes, I have a small window AC unit that I use in our 2nd floor bedroom. I try to use it as little as possible and so far this year, I haven’t used it all.  However, I am an asthmatic and money can’t buy my health so there are days for breathing purposes, I need to turn it on.  Usually when it hits high temperatures with high humidity and high pollen counts. 

So, how do you stay cool on a hot, summer day?