Are hot summer days getting you steamed? Experts agree that one of your first steps should include grabbing for a glass of cool, fresh water rather than caffeinated, carbonated, sugary drinks like soda or flavored teas. Alcohol can also act like a diuretic that will sap fluid out of your body instead of replenishing it. Also, think about dressing in light-weight, light-colored clothing that doesn’t absorb heat.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggests a few more tips to ward off dehydration and beat the heat.
- Almost one-fourth of your body’s sweat glands are in your feet. Wear shoes that let your feet breathe.
- The more you are outside sweating, the more water you need to replace. Keep a water bottle close and drink from it often.
- Go inside or in the water or even under a shady tree during the hottest time of the day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Do your outside activities before and after this time frame if you can help it.
- Eat juicy fruits that taste delicious and rehydrate the body.
But, what do you do when you don’t have air conditioning or your unit breaks down? A couple of frugal tips are as follows:
- Add water to the picture! Give the kids squirt-guns and send the water fight outside. A trip to the pool might cool everyone down. Or, sit in a bath of cool water when you start feeling overheated.
- Get out the fans. Hand-held or mechanical, use anything to create a breeze and cool your body temperature — unless you have to fan so vigorously that you work up a sweat instead.
- Spend time in the coolest area of your house (like the basement if it is livable space) or relax on a screen porch that catches the afternoon breezes.
- Open your windows at night to let in the cool air. Turn on ceiling or standing fans to circulate and cool your living spaces. During the day, close windows and draw curtains or close blinds over windows that bring in the most sun.
For long-term solutions, Hometips.com suggests insulating your attic to reduce heat transfer through the roof and walls. Install heat-reflecting film on sunny windows to keep your rooms cooler. Caulking and weatherstripping keeps cool air conditioning from seeping out through unnecessary spaces.
You can also plant shade trees that provide valuable cover. When you plant them, don’t block areas where you want breezes to cool. By picking deciduous varieties, leaves will fall in Autumn and leave gaps for the sun to warm rooms in the cold months.
If you are putting on a new roof, select a light one that reflects heat away from the house rather than absorbing it.
When all else fails, stand in the freezer section of the grocery store and enjoy a few blissful moments of cool air for free. Be forewarned that store employees might get upset if you hold the door open. And, don’t forget to buy a few frosty treats to share!
How are you staying cool this summer?
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
There are many ways to stay cool for cheap start with spending time in the library or a free/cheap museum.
If you have good will-power not to over spend go to the mall. I like to go to the mall with a book and find a place to sit and read. I may buy a drink and /or popcorn from a eatery and sit and nibble while reading. Usually less than $2 and I can enjoy the air conditioning for a couple of hours.
find a stream or river to relax next to again this is a time I like to bring a book along and stay a while
At home sit with your feet in a cool tub of water. keep reusable bottles of water filled. I like to fill 3/4 of the way full then freeze stays cold longer and I get the needed water replacement from sweating it out. keep reusable cold packs in the freezer and place on the back of the neck or forehead when laying down. Layiing on your back instead of your stomach will allow your body to cool quicker.
wet a towel or shirt and place over/ on you will help cool you breifly.
choose no cook meals or cook in a crock pot or pressure cooker to reduce the heating from stove and oven.
Block kitchen doors with curtains to keep heat from ’spreading’ through the house so much. Insulated curtains work best but I have even used sheets in a pinch and seen a difference.
Take care and keep cool ( and hydrated)
Open doors to basements the cooler air that you would try to keep out in the winter will help a little.
Wear clothes that “breath” some fabrics hold in heat more than others such as rayon.
Take night time walks — after dark the outside air often seems cooler than inside so get a little exercise and enjoy the ‘quieter’ time outside.
Great ideas!! Thanks.