How to survive in the heat without air conditioning?

This summer is breaking all records for high temperatures. How to survive the abnormal heat at home if there is no air conditioning in the rooms?

Why is summer heat dangerous?

«Elevated ambient temperatures are not only a matter of comfort, but also of safety,» says Ph.D. Deborah Weatherspoon.

If you ignore the abnormal heat, you can sit out until a heart attack.

• In hot weather, the cardiovascular system takes the brunt. The pressure rises, the heartbeat quickens, a feeling of tightness in the chest may appear. The most difficult is for hypertensive patients. They need to discuss in advance with the doctor about possible actions in case of deterioration of health.
• Increased sweating can provoke the occurrence of water and salt imbalance in the body. Therefore, do not forget about drinking enough and be sure to eat food with electrolytes. How to replenish their supply in the body, we told in the article «Foods that are sources of electrolytes.»
• Prolonged exposure to elevated temperatures outdoors and at home is fraught with the occurrence of sun or heat stroke. Therefore, at every opportunity, you should create a cooling environment around you.

How to keep the house cool?

If there is nowhere to hide from the heat and stuffiness, good living conditions can be created simply at home.

Step 1: Block out the sun during the hottest hours

The more sunlight enters the house through transparent windows, the hotter it becomes.

The sun brings not only light, but also warmth, which walls and furniture “take for themselves”. To keep your rooms as cool as possible, keep your blinds closed and your windows covered with blackout curtains during the hottest hours of the day.

Step 2: Paste the athermal heat reflective film

If you have an apartment with a view of the sea or the forest or other pictures that are pleasing to the eye, closing the blinds on the windows is not a good idea. Then athermal film will come to the rescue. It is a heat-reflecting window film with an adhesive surface, which, due to its light tinting, does not darken rooms much, but at the same time effectively reflects heat from the sun, keeping the house cool.

From the side of the apartment, there is a good overview of everything that happens on the street, while it does not hurt the eyes from bright sunlight. Many films also block up to 99% of UV radiation.

Step 3: Increase Fan Efficiency

When the fan is running, the air circulates throughout all the rooms in your home. If you are temporarily not using some, close them to create more coolness in other rooms.

Place a bowl of ice water and ice cubes in the path of the fan. So the air flow will become cooler, cooling everything around.

Step 4: Minimize Appliances

Remember that many of them give off heat a lot. Try to prepare food early in the morning or in the evening and do not use household appliances unless absolutely necessary. The hottest appliances in the home are the stove, microwave, incandescent light bulbs, and old desktop computers.

Also replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent bulbs, which emit 4 times less energy.

Step 5: Keep clothes and linen in the fridge

In order not to suffer from insomnia at night due to the heat, put sheets and pillowcases 2-3 hours before bedtime in the freezer. It is enough to take them out before going to bed and the bed will turn into a cozy and cool place.

You can do the same with wardrobe items during the day. Cool them in the freezer and put them on before leaving the house.

Step 6: Try to eat right

From how a person eats in the heat, to a large extent depends on his well-being. Heavy meals like meat, fish and fatty foods make the body work harder to absorb the nutrients. During digestion, a lot of heat is released, which increases sweating and makes you feel hotter.

• Eat light meals. Introduce more vegetables and fruits into your diet.
• Learn cold soup recipes. They will give a feeling of coolness and will not allow you to overheat.
• Main meals plan for a time when it is still or no longer hot. For example, a hearty breakfast early in the morning and a hearty dinner in the evening. For lunch, it is better to eat vegetable salads or dairy products. They are easily digestible and do not increase body temperature.
• Drink more than just water. Don’t give up on the idea of ​​having a cup of hot green tea or coffee if you really feel like it. They will make the body sweat, but this is exactly what will cool it.

Step 7: Clean More Often

To save yourself from the heat, you need to increase the humidity in the room. A humidifier will do the job most effectively. But if it is not possible to purchase it, use life hacks:

• Use a spray bottle to spray curtains and curtains, houseplants, and linens several times a day.
• Wipe the floor with a damp cloth at least twice a day, and always once before going to bed.

Step 8: Try to move to the floor

Hot air in a room rises, which is why it’s worth moving to the floor to feel better.

Put a mattress on the floor or equip a bed on the balcony, this will allow you to sleep well and face the new day in peace.

Step 9: Open windows at night

Even in the hottest summer nights, as a rule, cool. To get the most out of them, open the windows and all the rooms of the house in the evening. Then the air will circulate and cool everything around. And in the morning, when the sun begins to rise, the windows should be closed.

Step 10: Cool Your Body

When the temperature outside the window has exceeded 30 degrees, it is not enough to cool the room. You still need to cool down your body. You can do it like this:

• Rinse your face, back of your neck, and ears frequently with cool water. It’s refreshing.
• Take a cool bath or shower.
• Do foot baths with cool water. If your feet in the heat exude a pungent odor, add oak bark extract or sea salt to the water. This will help them sweat less.
• Apply a cold towel to the back of your neck and back.
• Wipe your face with ice cubes, apply cold sheet masks.
• If you need to cool down quickly, apply ice packs to the pulse points at the wrists, neck, crook of the elbows, and popliteal fossae.

Step 11: Consider Insulating Your Home

Warming the walls of the house and the roof over your head is a great way to feel more comfortable both in winter and in summer. In winter, insulation does not allow cool temperatures to seep into the house, and in summer heat and heat. It’s also a great way to save on electricity. When all conditions are created to maintain a good temperature at home, there is no need to turn on heaters and fans.

Step 12: Update Home Walls

If it’s time for a new facelift, consider changing the color of the walls. This is an effective way to keep cool in summer.

Light colors and neutral tones (such as beige and all soft pastels) contain less pigment and therefore absorb heat less. Instead, they reflect it and thus keep the interior cool, even if the windows are not tightly closed.