How to beat the heat
A little bit of hot weather is great now and again, but when it gets too much it can feel really unbearable. To help you survive this summer, we’ve put together our top tips for staying cool in the heat.
We wait all winter for a little bit of sun, but as soon as a heatwave comes around we moan that it’s too hot. However- if you use these tips to keep cool this summer, you can comfortably enjoy the heat whilst it lasts.
Sometimes you get those days which are just right, with a comfortable 25 degrees celsius with a cool breeze all day, however the weather rarely ends up this perfect. Instead we have to come up with our own creative solutions to beat the heat. Read on to see our best hacks for staying cool in a budget friendly way.
1 . Make a homemade air con unit
Although you can find air-conditioning in public places in the UK like supermarkets and upscale coffee shops, it’s rare to find it in the home. Although our summers keep getting hotter every year, it’s rare to find someone willing to invest in something so expensive which, to be honest, is only useful a few weeks out of the year.
However, luckily there is an easy way to make your own air-con at home. Just take either a bowl with ice in or a frozen bottle of water, place it in front of a fan and sit back whilst you’re blasted with cool breezy air. This hack should produce a similar, if slightly less refreshing, result to air conditioning.
2 . Wear loose, light coloured clothing
Wearing dark colours will make you overheat in the sun, as these types of clothes actually absorb more heat than lighter colour clothes. So, during a heatwave, make sure to stick to lighter colour clothes and you’ll be feeling a lot cooler.
Wearing clothes that fit loosely will also help keep you cool, as well as wearing fabrics such as linen and cotton which are naturally breathable fabrics. Avoid fabrics such as denim and synthetic blends, as these will make you even hotter.
3 . Sleep in pajamas
It might get tempting to strip down when your room gets warm at night, but sleeping in your birthday suit might not actually help.
Clothes are useful at night because they draw the sweat off your body, stopping you from feeling sticky and hot. Wearing some linen or cotton loose fitting pajamas should help you keep cooler overnight.
4 . Ditch the duvet
Instead of a big cumbersome duvet, try just using the duvet cover or a light sheet. This will help you feel cooler whilst also protecting you from the demons under the bed.
5 . Drink hot drinks and soup
Yes, this may sound counterintuitive, but hear us out, the science will prove us right on this one.
Drinking lots of hot drinks actually causes you to sweat, which outweighs the fact that it slightly raises your internal temp. Sweating is our body's built in way to cool us down, so don’t be afraid to sweat it all out on a super hot day.
However, only try this trick on a dry day when the sweat can evaporate into the air. On muggy days it won't feel as satisfying to be covered in sweat.
Top tip: If you can, try having caffeine-free alternative on hot days, as caffeine actually dehydrates you.
6 . Soak some fabric in cold water
Either a towel, t-shirt or sheet will work for this tip, and will leave you in a cool bliss.
Either wet your t-shirt and wear it like normal, wet a sheet and lay on it at night or get a wet towel and drape it over you during the day. Getting wet is a natural way of staying cool, so try one of these methods and reap the chilly rewards.
7 . Put your clothes and bedding in the freezer
From your bed sheets to your pajamas and day clothes, anything which is fabric can (and should!) go in the freezer during the summer heat waves.
Pulling out a pair of cold trousers during the peak heat of the day will cool you right down, and slipping into a freezing cold bed at night will put you right to sleep.
8 . Apply ice
We all know putting ice on your body will help you cool down, but there are actually some spots which will cool you down more effectively than others.
Wrists, elbows, joint creases, feet and your temple are a great place to start. Try placing your feet into a cold bath whilst placing an icy towel on your forehead and sit back as your body cools right down.
Another tip is to apply water to your wrists throughout the day, this will help you regulate your temperature and stop you from getting too hot.
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