The heat of summer is upon us. Yay?! While we try to keep the complaining to a minimum during the cold, dreary winter months, it feels like we shouldn’t be complaining once the temperature finally warms up… and yet, here we go! But at the risk of an enormous electric bill thanks to air conditioning and fans, we’ve scoured the Internet for tips on how to stay cool during the hottest days of summer. The folks at Real Simple have some excellent tips, and here are a few of our favorites:
Sun Blockers
Block the sun by closing your curtains and blinds during the day, and extra points if you there is sun-deflecting white on the window side. This can lower the amount of heat that your home will receive by as much as 45 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
Spritz
What works for animals also works for us. Spritzing yourself with cool water during the day feels good and lowers your body temperature. “It’s all about thermal regulation,” John Lehnhardt tells Real Simple. Lehnhardt is an elephant expert at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. See, we’re more alike than we are different!
Night night, Computer
Just like you, your computer needs to nap. Set it to go into low-power “sleep” mode if you are away from it for more than 10 minutes, and as a result, the computer will give off less heat. At the end of the day, shut your computer down completely.
Air Drying
The next time you’re doing the dishes, skip the drying cycle. All that heat is not helping anything, and instead, leave the door open to let the dishes dry. Another tip: put off using the dishwasher until evening, when the air is usually cooler. Or, you can always wash by hand.
H20, Baby
Keep the water flowing! As you sweat, you lose moisture, which will make your body temperature rise. So, replacing those fluids is vitally important to staying cool. And not all beverages are alike; alcohol, caffeine and sugary drinks are dehydrating, so make sure it’s water you’re sticking to, especially if you’ll be outside for much of the day.