How to stay cool in the summer

Summer inevitably brings unbearably hot weather. While blasting the air conditioning at home is one way to lower your body temperature, there are plenty of ways to stay cool in the summer that won’t rack up your electricity bill. Payless Power offers 10 creative tips for staying cool in the summer without breaking the bank.

Nothing beats fresh fruit in the summer. Try freezing your fruit for a nice cold treat for you and the kids!

HERE ARE 10 WAYS TO KEEP COOL IN THE SUMMER

1. Turn the lights off.

One of the best parts about summer is the sunshine. Any type of power or electricity in a home generates heat, so when the lights are on in the house, they will generate unnecessary heat that will further warm your already warm home. Embrace natural direct sunlight and keep the lights off during the day and evening before the sunsets. Not only will you benefit from the light of long summer days, but you will also save money on electricity too!

2. Dunk your feet in cold water.

Feet are a critical component of regulating your body temperature because as an extremity, they have slower blood circulation. This makes them very sensitive to temperature variations. It might sting at first, but consider dunking your feet in cold water, or spraying them with cold water from the hose. Once your feet are cold from the water, the rest of your body will quickly follow suit, helping you feel cooler.

3. Stay away from the stove and oven.

Summer is the time for barbecues and eating food outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful evening weather. It is not the time to cook a full meal in the oven or on the stove. Since both of these appliances let off heat into the house, they waste energy that you do not need to use in the summer. Take a break from cooking or baking in the kitchen. Stick to salads or fruits and make simple meals that do not require much cooking time or powered appliances. Who doesn’t love a refreshing salad after a long hot day?

4. Freeze your fruit.

The fruit is best in the summertime, but everyone knows how quickly fruit can spoil. Why not freeze those fresh blueberries or bananas? Frozen melon is a great food to eat after dinner. Frozen grapes taste like candy, and will cool you down while you eat them. Frozen fruit can be a quick and easy treat for sweaty kids who have been playing outside all day, and for the parents who have been chasing after them!

5. Open windows in the morning and night.

Sometimes it gets too hot to keep the windows open all day. But even on those unbearably hot days, aim to keep the windows open in the early morning and late evening, before and after the hottest part of the day. With the windows open, you will have a nice cool breeze running through the house to begin and end the day.

6. Wear loose and lightweight clothing.

Everyone knows the feeling: you are sweating and all of your clothes are stuck to your body. It is not a pleasant feeling at all. But this summer, you can avoid that uncomfortable feeling by wearing loose fitting and lightweight clothing. Looser clothing is always better for the summer heat. Try to wear cotton whenever possible. Cotton absorbs moisture and helps your body to stay cool in the summer heat. In a loose cotton t-shirt, you can enjoy the warm weather without feeling uncomfortable. Here’s a bonus tip: use cotton sheets on your bed and wear cotton pajamas to sleep to help keep your body cool throughout the night!

7. Wrap a cold towel around your neck.

Just like your feet, the back of your neck is a very sensitive part of the body and is especially sensitive to temperature. Place a towel in cool water and put it in the freezer for a few minutes (and enjoy the chill from the cool freezer!). Then when the towel is nice and cool, wrap it around your neck. This will help the rest of your body cool off and help you stay cool on those uncomfortably hot days.

8. Pop clothes in the freezer.

A freezer is good for more than just making ice. In fact, the freezer is loaded with tricks to help keep you cool this summer. Before bed, pop your pajamas in a plastic bag and stick them in the freezer for a few minutes. When you put your pajamas back on, you will be completely cooled off and ready for a peaceful night’s sleep. Cold pajamas are a great and easy trick to stay cool this summer.

9. Use a fan.

Fans are a great way to generate airflow inside the house. But if the house is already hot, the fan might just push around warm air. Instead of moving around hot air, try pointing the fan out an open window. The fan will push the hot air outside, allowing for some cool air to move in. Another option is to place a fan across from an open window to create a cooling cross-breeze. This cross-breeze will cool off the room, and hopefully you too!

10. Heat rises, so stay close to the ground.

We’ll say it again: heat rises! This means that the higher up you are inside a house, the warmer you will be. So stay as close to the ground floor as possible. If all the bedrooms are upstairs, try having a big sleepover on the first floor with the kids. This is a creative way to have fun together and cool off from that Texas heat. The closer to the ground you are, the cooler you will be this summer.

Now that we’ve looked at how to keep cool in the summer while indoors, let’s now see what you can do to minimize the effect of the sun while outdoors.

How do you stay cool in the summer outside?

1. Put on light clothes

Summer is that time of the year where we get out, have fun with family and friends, and in the excitement of it all, you might be tempted to put on some fancy clothes which might not be the right choice in regards to the hot summer weather. Here, light and breathable clothes will do just fine. If you are worried that it will get cold as the evening approaches, then dress in layers so as you stay fashionable and comfortable even as the temperature fluctuates.

2. Avoid sun exposure between 11 am and 2 pm

The sun is at its hottest between 11 am and 2 pm and therefore, if you can, stay indoors to avoid getting sunburns. Minimizing your exposure to the sun during this period will significantly reduce your risk of overheating. However, if for some reason you can’t stay away during this time, then it is advisable that you put on clothes that limit exposure.

You could also reschedule your activities to early in the morning or sometime in the mid-afternoon to evening. As for the people who are highly susceptible to heat such as the Obese individuals, children, the elderly, gingers, redheads, and those with a medical condition that don’t allow them to be out on the sun for long.

3. Stay hydrated

It is essential that you remain hydrated the entire time you are out in the sun. Water is an important element when it comes to keeping the body cool. Therefore, it is vital that you drink water even when you are not feeling like it, as you might not notice when you get dehydrated. Drinking commercial water such as sports drinks and vitamin water is okay, however, it should not replace water and should be drunk only if you intend to increase your body vitamins or electrolytes following a sporting activity.

4. Cool your “hot zones”

These are pressure points which as you may know are secret to happiness. Placing a bottle of iced water or ice park on these areas will immediately cool you down. Some of the pressure points are; the ankle, behind the knees, elbow bends, neck, and temple.

5. Take spicy food

I know this is strange but true. You see, spicy food usually enhances your blood circulation which consequently makes you sweat. Additionally, the pepper in the food acts on your heat receptors on the skin to elicit even more sweating. And as you probably know, sweating helps you to cool down through evaporation.

6. Look for shade

The easiest way to cool yourself is by sheltering under a shade. If your work involves being outdoor most of the time, it is advisable that you take short breaks to cool off. You can do this under a tree on any other object that provides shade. Trees, in particular, lose water into the environment which in turn absorbs some heat and therefore bringing that cooling effect. Also, note that shade doesn’t directly reduce temperature but it prevents direct sun exposure making you feel as if the temperature has dropped 10 fold.

7.Sprinkle water on your skin

Have you ever experienced that refreshing feeling after taking a deep into the swimming pool on a hot summer afternoon? Sprinkling cold water on the skin or body also helps you to cool down. You can easily do this by taking a cold shower or standing or running through sprinklers. Alternatively, you can place a bottle of water on the fridge and at work or home, and whenever you feel like you are heating up, spray it over your body and face. All these options are low maintenance and don’t cost you much to install them.

How can I cool my room down without AC

There are numerous ways to keep a room cool without using AC. Here are some of them

1. Open the windows

This might sound obvious, but the most natural and easiest way of maintaining a cool atmosphere in your house is by preventing the solar heat from entering the house. To achieve this, you will need to close all the windows that face south and east in the morning including closing down the blinds and drawing the curtains. Then open all the windows facing north and west. This will help block the sun while allowing cooler and fresh morning air to enter.

In the late afternoon, when the temperatures on the outside drops compare to the inside of the house, do the opposite of what you did in the morning. Open the south and East windows and close the north and west windows. The logic behind this is that; when the external temperature drops, all the heat that was absorbed by the house is released back to the environment.

2.Use blackout curtains on your windows

Blackout curtains are known to block out the sun rays which in turn insulates the room to which it is installed. Experts recommend curtains that are neutral in colors with white plastic backings. This will minimize heat by around 30%

3. Close unused door

Closing unused doors helps you to maximize on the cool air on specific rooms. It prevent the cool air from spreading to the whole house (even the vacant rooms). It is also prudent that you make use of the cooler night air, letting it flow freely through your home.

4. Improvise the fan of using the A.C.

Did you know that you can create an artificial mini breeze using a fan and bowl of cold ice. All you need to do is to position the bowl containing the ice or anything cold at an angle in front of fan. The air brushes through the ice in extra-misty, highly-chilled state.

5.Change your sheet

Changing your beddings does not only freshen the room, but it is also a perfect technique of keeping cool. Even though textile such as fleece blanket and fannel sheet are excellent for insulation, cotton is most preferred because it stays cooler and breathes easy.