There are always two sides to the same coin. Take summer. It can mean garden barbecues, beach adventure, backpacking, and all sorts of fun and excitement that would make you long for it. But on the other end of the spectrum, there’s extreme heat. And much as you may want to, never take all that for granted. That scorching heat can be a bane for our bodies. Overall, a staggering 11, 000 Americans have perished since 1979 due to heat-related causes.
When it’s hot outside, you’re bound to feel that heat pound your precious abode like crazy. Then, you’d respond by cranking the AC as most Americans would. However, take heed. That knee-jerk reaction is one formula for disaster. We’re talking about your electric bills jacked up. As a matter of fact, a survey shows 1 in 3 people nationwide in America will have their bills go up at least 10% during summer.
The good news is beating the summer heat isn’t exactly rocket science. It has certainly been done before. Expert strategies should get you to enjoy your precious abode even when it seems like the sun is bent to get you. Even better, you can sail through without causing your monthly power bill to shoot up. In short, you can escape the sun’s wrath efficiently and most importantly effectively. Here’s how.
Stay Hydrated
Know staying hydrated is essential no matter the weather. But the extreme heat of the summer makes this even obvious. All that sweltering heat is one glorious reminder that you should keep hydrated. If not, you could meet the fate of people who taunted the might of the sun, staying under it for hours on end with little water.
For instance, there was a 60-year-old Australian who was found dead after his car broke down in the middle of the Australian desert. He had but little water. The ironic thing is he walked 30 miles and was but 1.24 miles away from safety.
During summer times when you have that dripping sweat, you lose water in your body. Drinking water is essential as it replenishes lost hydration.
It’s actually simple logic. Just think of your body as you would an air conditioner. Every time you do physical activities or is in hot weather like summer, your body sweats to cool you. Sweat acts as a coolant to your body. It’s important therefore that you replenish your body with water to replace lost liquids.
Have Cooler Sleep
You’d certainly feel all that summer heat when you want to have some shuteye. Higher body temperature can mean a hard time falling asleep. It’s but natural.
To avert such personal disaster, cooling your head with a special pillow (e.g., Chillow) is key. Alternatively, you can just sleep on top of a wet sheet. Also, cater to your body’s cooling points like your neck or wrist. To do that, have some wrapped ice cubes in a towel and apply that to your pulse joints. You should cool down faster.
Maximize Your Windows
If you just pay a little attention to your windows, you will not need to punish your air conditioner so much. Let the windows remain close during the day to block the sun’s heat. Open them only during the night when the weather cools down. Hanging a damp towel while the windows are open is also a great idea. It works like a filtering station where hot air is cooled off by the dampened towel.
Indeed, opening windows can also be a good option to let fresh air in during summer. Still, opening windows are not as good as opening doors. This is why installing sliding glass doors is wise. It’s seamless. With one slide, fresh air can blast its way in. Plus, you can’t beat the view when you have sliding glass doors factored in.
Deploy a DIY Air Conditioner
Having that AC run the entire summer sure is expensive. Things could add up pretty fast. But what if you can make yourself a cheaper alternative? That should be interesting. To do that, just cut a hole on top of the cooler filled with lots of ice cubes then have your fan’s air blow into it. Voila!
Maintain Cool Food and Avoid Oven
Summer is a great time to eat outdoors. But there are just drinks and foods that you can’t enjoy when they get exposed to direct sunlight. And yes, why not create a Zeer pot, another name for an evaporative cooler? It’s a spot-on way to let your drinks or foods remain cold. With just two containers fitting each other, you can create an instant refrigerator for your choice of food or drinks.
When it is hot to cook, you can also create cold soups. Doing so helps you rely on a versatile rice cooker. What’s more, you can try cooking without using the oven or better yet try no-cook recipe ideas. That should minimize the heat.
Just because summer seems to be challenging does not mean it can’t be fun and exciting. A few tweaks and you and everyone in the family should be good to go.