Having grown up in south Alabama, I’m no stranger to hot weather. I was lucky enough to have air conditioning most of the time, but on the occasions when I didn’t, I used a few tricks to stay cool. I hope these tips help you to stay comfortable as the mercury climbs.
- Keep your feet cool. Placing your feet in a bowl of cold water or under a wet washcloth works well. If you can pair the wet washcloth with a fan blowing on your feet, you’ll get even more benefit as the evaporating water cools the skin. This is a great trick for sleeping in hot weather.
2. Cool your hands. If you’re especially veiny like me, this works well. Run cold water over your hands paying special attention to the veins on the backs of your hands and your wrists.
3. Cool your neck. A wet washcloth on the back of the neck works well. If you have access to a fan, using it to accelerate evaporation works even better.
4. Use ice and a fan as air conditioning. Simply place a large bowl or bucket of ice (or very cold water) in front of a fan so that the fan blows the cold air around the bowl into the room. This works best in a small room and it helps to elevate the bowl so that the fan blows on as much surface area of the ice-filled bowl as possible.
5. Stay hydrated. This is important – if you do nothing else, do this. Drink as much liquid as possible, but try to avoid caffeinated drinks as they can cause fluid loss. If you need caffeine (I do!), make sure you drink an equivalent amount of water for every tea or coffee you drink to help offset the loss of fluids.
Fig and Pen 