Emily Wilson
Staying cool in the blazing heat is becoming more challenging year in year out. It seems like each summer is hotter than the one before, which makes life during the summer months quite unbearable sometimes. This is precisely why you should learn a few tricks that will help you keep it cool on the go and at your home, even if the temperatures go above the average and become scorching hot.
Wear lightweight clothes
Breathable fabrics will make you feel more comfortable when the temperatures go insanely high. Stick to cotton, linen and viscose as those fabrics won’t sit tight against your skin, but will be loose and allow air to circulate through, preventing your body from overheating. The farther the material is you’re your body, the cooler you’ll feel, which is why you should avoid polyester, lycra, spandex and anything that is too tight to your body. It’ll make you feel hotter than you actually are due to their unbreathable properties. Stick to light airy colours as well, because black and navy blue, for example, will attract the sunlight making the weather even more unbearable. This is especially true for Australia because summer can become extremely hot in the entire country from Sydney to Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne. Therefore, if you’re from the Land Down Under, stick to lighter colours such as beige and white because they reflect sunlight, reflecting some heat in return as well. Don’t forget to wear hats too, and protect your head from the sun, but also making your outfit more fashionable. If you know you’ll be spending long hours outside in the heat, invest in special towels that will stay cool longer than regular towels once you get it wet with cold water. Wrap it around your neck for a great cooling effect.
Find shade
Whenever you’re outdoors, try to stay away from the direct sunlight and look for any sort of shade. Be it natural under a big lush tree or under a shade sail or even in a gazebo, as long as you’re not exposed to the direct sunlight, you’ll be okay. Australian sun can sometimes be merciless, which is why you should limit your time outdoors. Too much sun exposure can cause various skin problems and painful sunburns, so if you still enjoy a light summer breeze but you need a place to hide from the sun think about having a pergola in your backyard. A gazebo or canopy can also be a lovely addition to your backyard, where you could relax and lay back in one of the outdoor lounges not having to worry about the scorching sun. If you have a swimming pool in your backyard too, then you’re going to have a lot of fun while also keeping yourself cool.
Install air-conditioner
When it comes to indoors, no matter how your house was built you’ll never keep it cool enough during the blazing summer. That’s why you should consider installing an air conditioner. A cooling system will be particularly convenient for people living in the area where temperatures are often very high such as Sydney. The air indoors can be very humid, which will in return cause you to sweat. Having both the air and your body covered in the moisture you’ll feel very uncomfortable because the moisture won’t be able to evaporate anywhere. This will further provoke bad tempers and lethargy because you’ll feel miserable in your own skin. Air-conditioner is the perfect solution for this problem too because aside from cooling the air indoors it will also remove the water from the air and deposit it outside. If you are a Sydneysider and you want a good cooling system in your home, it would be a good idea to look for the ac installation services in Sydney and have professionals install the AC so you can finally enjoy the indoors when it’s too hot to stay outside. With the newest models of air conditioning systems, you can easily set the timer to when to turn the AC on or off, so your home can be pleasant for you to walk in when you come home if you set it to turn on half an hour before you arrive.
Keep the AC clean
If you opt to have air-conditioner it’s essential that you keep it clean all year long. Not only is this paramount for your health, but for the performance of the device as well. Namely, all the dust, grime, smoke and odours that air-conditioners suck inside while offering you fresh air in return, needs to be cleaned regularly. This is especially true if you use the AC every day for several hours because there’s a much bigger chance for the dirt to accumulate if you use the AC often. If you allow the grime and bacteria to be released from the device, you’ll jeopardize your health and potentially cause several respiratory problems such as asthma. Don’t allow your AC to become a breeding ground for bacteria and mould but service it regularly. Aside from health benefits, a clean air-conditioner will also work better and save the energy which means your electricity bill won’t be as high as it was while the AC wasn’t clean. Don’t risk having to pay even more money to repair your AC it stops working just because you were too irresponsible to clean and check its efficacy regularly.
Hydrate all the time
One of the most important things to do in the summer is to keep your body hydrated. Drink lots of water because your body will lose it through perspiration and you’ll need to compensate for it. Your body won’t be able to keep you cool unless provide it with the necessary fuel to perform its function. Therefore, if you drink approximately 1 litre of water a day increase the amount and once you think you’ve had enough, get some more. Water, lemonade and sugar-free drinks are your best choice because they will keep you hydrated. Beverages containing alcohol, caffeine, and carbonation will dehydrate your body only making you drink more when in fact all you need is water to keep your body going.
Have a misting bottle
If you’ve carried a fan with you so far to keep yourself cool, think about turning the cooling game up a notch. Swap the fan for a misting bottle and you’ll feel cooler than ever. All you need is a quick spurt of water to your face gives you instant refreshment, providing you with enough comfort in the high heat. The tiny water droplets will cool you down immediately but will evaporate quickly keeping your skin moist and cool enough as well. However, don’t mistake a spraying bottle for a misting bottle, because the former will waste water spraying more than you need. The latter will offer a more even coverage on your skin making sure you spray exactly the part of the body you wanted and not waste a drop.
Final thoughts
Keeping yourself cool during summer heats seems to become more difficult every year, but with a few simple hacks, you’ll stay comfortable while enjoying some sun. Just make sure you wear lightweight clothes in light colours, hydrate regularly, have a missing bottle to keep you cool when you’re outside, and find some natural shade or create it yourself in your backyard. By installing air-conditioner you’ll keep the indoors cooler as well, making it a much more comfortable place to live. Just don’t forget to service the device regularly, and keep it clean if you want it to offer you maximum and keep your family healthy.
Excellent advice but what happens when the heat is not only heat but humidity surrounding you and seemingly crushing you. This is what happens in the Ottawa valley where I reside. Even air conditionning is not enough as you always have to go outside at some point or another and then the crushing heat humidity engulfs you. I do everything you mentionned but it never seems enough here. That is why one of these days I will move out of this valley and up north somewhere where the summers are more tolerable still until the Arctic ice cap is totally melted that is… Nonetheless your article was very well written and you gave good advice… Sorry if I ranted so much but as you might have guessed, I do not like summer at all. Give me snow and cold any and every day. I think I should have been born an Inuit (Eskimo).