Heatwave hacks

[Bluewavescrashing]

1. Dampen a cotton sheet in cold water and lie it on top of you when you go to bed

1. Open the loft hatch so hot air goes up into the loft space

3 refuse to do any physical work or actually move from the padding pool

Any others to add?

And I say this having had to deal with the damp complaint caused by the person sitting their beer in the attic of their new house to keep it cool - every time they went up and down another waft of lovely damp house air going up there.

I am all for no 3. though.

I just put on the central air conditioning. It's been a lifesaver the last few days.
I’m so jealous wish I could afford ac

@MissConductUS You couldn't resist a little brag, could you?!

Thankfully, here in the UK, we only get sticky hot weather like this a couple of weeks a year. So Air Con is just not worth the cost

This sounds counter intuitive but it really works. Have a really hot shower before bed. As hot as you can bear. When you then step out of the bathroom it feels really cool. Walking into a bedroom with a fan on feels lovely and cool. You also don't start sweating again immediately as you do when you step out of a cool shower .

This was shared with me by a relative who lives somewhere very hot ( 35-40 Deg )in rhe summer and who has no air conditioning. It really does work . You stay cooler for longer at night

feet in a bowl of cool water
fan on - doesn't cool air but moving air feels a bit cooler and helps to dry sweat
keep a couple of very damp flannels in a bowl by your bed. Wipe your face and the back of your neck and leave damp.

Hair up - or even better short

This house is my first modern house,all others old and cool inside.
We have it down to a fine art.All upstairs windows open at night to allow a through draft.First thing all windows on South side closed and blinds/curtains closed.Loft hatch slightly opened.If we are at home then downstairs windows on the north side open.
If all else fails we sit in the dining room which is unaccountably cold even in this heat.

Spray bottles full of water - spray them on yourself (mostly my legs) and let evaporate, preferably with a fan nearby.

You can also spray a sheet which is over you if like me you need some covering in order to be able to sleep even when it's 30°

Cold damp towel laid over your whole body while you're lying down does wonders at night - during the day, smaller towel or tea towel, wet and squeezed out then round shoulders. When I worked in an office I'd keep a spare top for meetings so it didn't matter that my main one was wet 😂

Hot water bottle in fridge :)

@MissConductUS

I just put on the central air conditioning. It's been a lifesaver the last few days.

My house is a hundred and odd years old. Not much chance of fitting air con.

If you're going in and out of the house, try to avoid air con as much as possible. Your body will adjust to the temperature that you're in - so whilst the relief of walking into a shop with air con is blissful, you will feel so much worse when you step out into the heat again.

Mine is to fill a travel cup with cold water (other drinks available 😂😂) so you have a nice cold drink. Mine is huge (holds a litre of liquid) and stays icy for hours.

It's so warm in my boys' bedrooms, on the top floor. I put them on the sofas in the much cooler living room. They're still nattering away at nearly one but they're cool and it's good natured chat. No school tomorrow apart from a couple of classes from home. It's too hot to sleep anyway. So musical beds is just fine imo!

If anyone is considering new heating systems I would totally recommend air source heat pumps. We got one put into our new build annexe. We chose it because it was cheaper than somehow trying to connect it to the house heating system and a bonus is that you can reverse it and it become air conditioning - we were all camped out there watching a film this afternoon when it was too hot to do anything else.

Keep curtains closed.

Stay in the shade.

Drink little & often, and if you stop feeling thirsty, make yourself drink more (a symptom of dehydration is lack of thirst, bizarrely).

Food likewise, and if you have been sweating a lot then eat some crisps.

Run your wrists under a cold tap.

Cold flannel on your forehead.

Take the duvet off the bed and sleep under just the empty duvet cover or a sheet.

Wear a hat, white reflects heat the best.

Don't over-exert yourself.

At the moment, I am sorely tempted to stay at work 24/7, as the office has great air conditioning.

Evaporative cooling - get as much stuff wet as possible. Hair, wet muslin round your neck, wet the patio with a hose, spray mist the walls with an old cleaning spray bottle with water in it.

I have to say I felt like I couldn't breathe in the bedroom so have moved to sleep on the sofa with the patio doors open which is much nicer!

Ice cubes in childrens drinks bottles also freeze Capri Suns great ice packs
Children sleep on the floor/ bottom bunk if they have bunk or cabin beds

Why is everyone so dramatic. ...good grief it's not that hot. ...the way that you lot are going on about gel packs and ice cubes and wet t shirts is quite funny...

I'm amazed at the ability of some posters to be able to be all places at once with a thermometer...

Put your folded pillow case inside a carrier bag then in the freezer for an hour or so before bed.

Stats for for ages!

I really couldn’t sleep with wet hair/ bedsheets/ ice in bed etc.

I have a water cooler unit for the bedroom. It’s like portable aircon but cheaper and doesn’t involve making holes in the walls. This one: www.electriq.co.uk/p/storm100e/electriq-storm100e
One of the best things I’ve ever bought.

@bumblingbovine49

This sounds counter intuitive but it really works. Have a really hot shower before bed. As hot as you can bear. When you then step out of the bathroom it feels really cool. Walking into a bedroom with a fan on feels lovely and cool. You also don't start sweating again immediately as you do when you step out of a cool shower .

This was shared with me by a relative who lives somewhere very hot ( 35-40 Deg )in rhe summer and who has no air conditioning. It really does work . You stay cooler for longer at night

Yep agree. It works, as does having a hot drink

Keep a bowl of wet small towels or cloths in fridge, roll up, put around neck, change as needed.

Freeze pet water and freeze bottles of water for them to lay on - our dog loves this over summer, so does the rabbit and cat

Keep your house as dark as you can

Im jealous of ALL of you. Its so cold in Aus right now, pet bowls froze over last week, i hate it and am hanging for a real heatwave, 45 plus

@annaSW1

I do this, but my husband never dies. It’s amazing how cool and refreshing the pillow is when you turn it over. I can never work out Why it is cool though - surely if you lie on it it should heat up?

Why is everyone so dramatic. ...good grief it's not that hot. ...the way that you lot are going on about gel packs and ice cubes and wet t shirts is quite funny...

I'm sitting here in amazement! I don't do any of those things in summer, it sounds really OTT. Mind you, it's winter here at the moment, and I would love some of your heat!!!