AIBU to ask for heatwave coping tips / purchases that help?

I lived in Germany during a heatwave and struggled massively with it while pregnant, we had no air con in the office so me and my colleagues would put ice cold face clothes on our heads and back of neck and constantly have a supply in the fridge - also wrapped ice cubes in the face clothes to make it almost like a chunky bead necklace and held on the back of neck. We all looked ridiculous but it did help!

Not dim at all. Thumb tacks or staple gun to the sofits upstairs, downstairs attached to a screws we've sunk in the brickwork above the windows. Not pretty but the result is a drop in temperature of several degrees.

Just saw post where someone asked. . Sorry. Missed it before.

I put my dehumidifier on , it sounds daft but I found it easier to cope with drier heat .

Wear just a loose cotton summer dress and get in the shower, tepid temp and dry off naturally. We also hang old curtains on the outside of the windows, use duct tape.

A water misting bottle and a portable fan, or rechargeable hand held fan. Use in tandem with each other.

Socks in the freezer. Ice packs in the freezer. Cold Socks on and feet on top of ice packs.

Always making sure your hair is off your back if you have long hair.

When we had that 40° heatwave we painted our windows white just with white emulsion and a roller. I don't know if it was a wise choice, but it came off easily with a plastic paint scraper, and kept inside about 32° when it is usually hotter inside than outside due to east and west facing windows.

A blow up tiny kids paddling pool for your feet, or a kitchen sink bowl that you can put cold water with a few ice cubes in for a quick dip every so often.

How do you manage to hang them ? Sorry if I'm being dim.

have you thought about getting proper AC in your house OP? Whilst it costs a few thousand, with your condition I would think it’s very worth it

I sleep with a damp flannel over my legs, the window open, the earplugs in (as the birds are SO noisy in the morning!)

Cold shower just before bed too.

solar control window film for a longer term solution 👌

I really rate a white parasol if you absolutely have to go out. Especially if you're walking round a baking hot car park. Also get a good insulated water bottle, fill it to the brim with ice water and take it with you, being able to drink something genuinely cold makes a huge difference.

Hope you don't suffer too badly op, people love to minimise the effects of hot weather but we really aren't set up for it in this country and it can be so difficult for anyone vulnerable.

Sit your feet in a bucket/large bowl/paddling pool of cold water. So refreshing!

We've also recently had solar control window film applied to a couple of windows in our hottest room and wow the difference! Such a reduction in room temperature!

Depends how your windows open. Mine are divided horizontally, the top half opens and the handles are at the bottom of the opening part. (See pic, not my window, just a similar one). I have an old sheet cut to the approx size of the window, and push it through the narrow gap at the top of the open window, then carefully close it, keeping the top edge of the sheet inside until it's shut in the top of the window. It's a bit fiddly, and if there's a breeze it tends to flap about, but it definitely makes a difference.

One of these gel wraps, I’ve not frozen mine only refrigerated it and it stays cool for ages! I cooked a massive Thai curry wearing it so I could stay cool by the cooker

(image pending) but it’s called a magic gel ice pack

i have some cooling scarf thingies, they don't need much wringing out at all, just enough so they aren't dripping wet to start with, then when they start warming up you give them a shake to cool them down again. I tend to have one across the back of my neck when at home, and if i need to go out I'll wrap it around my head.

I've also got a couple of cooling gel pads, a huge one from silentnight for my bed, and smaller ones for pillows. I do normally wake up a couple of times at night, the first time i take the heated up pad away, then the next time bring it back after it's cooled down again.

I have a relatively mild chronic health condition which means that I don’t feel very well when it gets above 34 degrees (forecast for my home area for four days this week). I find electrolyte tablets in water help. I also have some sweet cold drinks rather than just water which I wouldn’t normally do.

Night is the biggest issue - I have a shower so my hair is wet, and then have a water mister spray. As the water evaporates off your body it cools down which can help. Good luck OP. When the house got above 29 in May I just couldn’t get to sleep, but the spray did help.

How exactly do you do this?

I keep a misting bottle filled with water in the fridge so I can grab it and cool myself down instantly. You can buy an aerosol version of this on Amazon but I’ve personally not tried it.

I spray my pillowcase with water and put it in a freezer bag in the freezer for 15 minutes before bed.

We have a tower fan next to the bed on full power all night with the window wide open.

windows open + curtains shut all day until evening to keep sun off.

We have a very big loose sheet we sleep under when it’s hot. In the past I’ve been known to put it in a plastic bag in the freezer in the afternoon!

For me, the cooling cloths work best. Im in Scotland and find 20 C too warm; I I just googled and it’s going to be 39 in London mid week: that sounds horrific

We have cooling scarves , they are some artex type synthetic material which stays pleasantly damp..
They don't require heavy duty winging out.
I bought this
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CHOSHOME-Snowflake-Self-Cooling-Lightweight-Double-Sided/dp/B09N6J25FC?pd_rd_w=JNVfx&content-id=amzn1.sym.78b0bdd7-576f-4fba-bf6f-9c75764ba564&pf_rd_p=78b0bdd7-576f-4fba-bf6f-9c75764ba564&pf_rd_r=PRNNDTGAGCQR6C7EQV5F&pd_rd_wg=66EoL&pd_rd_r=51d3c34d-9857-4cb9-a0bb-88f6b1c5f766&pd_rd_i=B09N6J25FC&psc=1&ref_=pd_basp_m_rpt_ba_s_1_nped_pr_sc

Son says it's good.

It's been 30-35c while I'm on holiday this week and I've had a wet silk scarf round my neck to stay cool, re wet it often. I don't care if it drips on me. Also had a usb fan pointed at it sometimes

Frozen hot water bottle really helps me. Running pulse points under the cold tap and cold compress/towel over my head or neck.
Also resting my feet in a basin of cold water