What has helped you keep cool in during heat wave?

[ifonly4]

Just been thinking, how moving forward we cope with higher temperatures, and what others have done which has helped them. Here:

We bought a tower fan on Monday. Haven't had it on all the time, but really helps when you have one of those 'I can't stand this any longer' moments. We set it to go off a couple of hours after we went to bed last night and it definitely helped - only problem is I woke an hour after it went off feeling too hot - so tonight will put on a different mode.

I've had a damp flannel out today at home - when I feel a bit hot I've been patting my face, around my neck and hands. Luckily we have a few!

Not cooking anything in the kitchen.

Mobile a/c unit. Keeping blinds shut.

Paddling pool in the garden. I feel generally cooler if my feet are cold!

All windows and blinds/curtains shut. I've been sleeping downstairs as it's significantly cooler. All the fans are on. I keep thinking about investing in air con!

Knowing that by the weekend it will be the normal bit chilly by 8pm weather,

Aircon unit. Blinds shut. White sheet outside the sunniest windows

Take a cool shower before bed and rather than drying yourself with a towel, wrap yourself in a sheet - then stay under that sheet to sleep.

Neck fan.
Paddling pool.
Sitting in the shade.
Finding a room with AC at work.
Wet flannel around neck.
Ice lollies.

Blinds down during the day, air rooms early morning when it is cooler.
My boss sent me a wee USB fan that plugs into my laptop 😀
There may be a wee stash of Magnums in the fridge

Magicool spray, used half a can today

Air con and pool at home. Aircon at work and air con in the car. That's pretty much it

I've not heard of this, how does it work/how are you doing this?

So very grateful to have a cellar (fully converted). It's very cool... dare I say, perhaps a little chilly! I had a cardigan on this morning whilst working down there.

A water spray. Bliss on skin especially in front of a fan

Fixed air con in the living room! And hibernating in there.

Hot water bottle, half filled, frozen in the freezer before bedtime

I've had 3 non negotiable days of lengthy bus travel to sit in hot buildings. Coming home each day feeling like a swamp. The thing that's helped is cold water in my travel flask with a mint tea bag in there. A hand held fan ( mine's the old fashioned kind). A "cold" setting long shower when I get home - it's actually tepid unless I remember to ask my DH to flush the toilet! I'm either giving my hair and scalp a good rinse or an actual wash. A linen nightgown that feels like air, and hiding in the bedroom as we have a portable air con in there. And eating v little, as a size 16 I'm not competitively under eating, I just find eating less seems to help with the physical aspect of it all.

I’m a carer and got a neck fan yesterday off Amazon, some houses are so hot and being menopausal was unbearable yesterday, today was a breeze…literally!

Frozen hot water bottle, a/c unit in bedroom, spray bottle of water to keep me cool on the move, wear only thin cotton, loose clothes. Hat when out.

Set up the inflatable hot tub at 31 degrees. It's like getting in an outdoor swimming pool, lovely and cooling. I work from home and have been working in the shade in the garden in my bikini and a sundress, taking a quick dip whenever I can. The kids have loved getting in right after school, and then again to cool down just before bed.

I've been using an umbrella as a parasol. It helps.

I bought tennis wristbands from decathlon (4.99 own brand) and am wearing one soaked in cold water. Right where the veins are near the skin surface. The other band sits in cold water in the fridge. I swap it as needed and wet it cold again each time I wash my hands. I refuse to take off my watch so I don't wear two.

I put a half filled water bottle in the freezer the night before, tipped at a slight angle so the ice freezes a good way up the bottle. Fill with cold water on leaving the house for ice water for hours. Helps in a very hot car.

I've found some sandals at long last and in the car I put the air blowers down into the footwell which helps keep feet cool. Cold air onto the veins on top of the feet does help a lot.

My kitchen is Hades. Cold food only. Gah.

I’m lucky in that I’m now retired so able to stay home all day.

Dog walk early (although looking at tomorrows temperatures I’ll give it a miss)
Sit in the garden until lunchtime when the sun moves round.
Windows open whilst it’s cool, then close them and pull blinds, open again late evening.
Nap in front of fan mid afternoon.
We have Meaco fans which are doing a good job of being cooling, although we are considering aircon for the bedrooms.

Portable A/C unit in my bedroom and curtains drawn. Cold showers. Having feet in cold water. Neck cooling ring that you put in the freezer is amazing for work and I also have a Yuyu ice pulse bracelet thing which is good too (but I think the neck ring is better). I also have magicool spray and a migraine ice cap thing which I did originally buy for migraine and looks RIDICULOUS on but I’m at the point I don’t care and have it at work too so I can cool my head down quickly when I need to! I am really heat sensitive and have a number of underlying health conditions with increased risks in heat so I am doing everything I can.

Having AC on.