Top Tips for Keeping Cool!

Is there anything more British than complaining about the weather? Although the 32 degree highs of early summer seem a distant memory, we hold out hope we’ll see some more summer in September!

With this in mind, see below some top tips on how you can remain comfortable whilst at home:

Invest in an electric fan. This is the fastest way to bring your temperature down, however electric fans do not produce cold air, they only circulate existing. Why not carefully place a bowl of cold water with plenty of ice in front of this which will create a cool breeze.

Strip your duvet. Remove your duvet from its cover and put to one side then simply sleep with the cover on top of you. Simple.

Place your duvet cover in the freezer. If you want extra relief then follow the step above, fold the duvet cover up and place within a plastic bag. Place the bag within the freezer and leave for the day. Then when you are ready for bed, get this out and unfold!

Close your windows and blinds. Have you ever been on holiday to a country with a hot climate and noticed window shutters on the residential housing? Well, this is helping keep the house cool whilst the sun is out and the temperature is at it’s hottest. You may think that not having a window open is a silly thing to do when warm, however closing the windows stops the warm air from entering your room and by keeping the blinds closed, sunlight will not warm the room either.

Put your wrists in cold water. Putting your wrists under the cold tap for three minutes will reduce the temperature of the blood running through your veins and lower the temperature of the rest of your body. You can also place your feet into a bucket of cold water for the same effect.

Avoid using the oven. For obvious reasons, an oven can heat up a room! Try eating foods that do not require cooking like salads, or treat yourself to a takeaway!

Turn off the TV. Most electrical devices including TV’s become warm with use, which in turn give off heat. Where possible try to avoid a night in front of the TV and instead pick up a magazine or book.

Drink lots of water. Hydration is key when your body is trying to maintain homeostasis, or a regulated state, in this case a decent temperature. Sweating is our bodies way of cooling down, so to prevent becoming dehydrated, drink plenty of fluids and avoid anything that may counter this like coffee or alcohol.

Eat spicy food. Weird but true: spicy foods actually help you cool down. Spicy food increases your blood circulation, which in turn makes you sweaty. And, as we discussed before, sweating cools you down when the sweat cools down.

Lets all hold out hope for a last gasp summer to make up for the fairly rubbish one we’ve had to date!

The Waterside Team