20 Easy Ways To Stay Cool During Heat Wave

What are the top 20 ways to stay cool, on a budget, during the heat wave?

Not everyone has access to air conditioning, and HVACs units are have been known to break down during heat waves.

We looked over the most-popular blogs on the topic of staying cool during heat waves. Most have the same tips, and there is even a whole Internet subculture devoted to building homemade air conditioners (using ice and household fans).

1. Go tropical. Wear loose lightweight cottons and linens.

2. Cool that pulse point. Run cold water over your wrists for a minute or so every hour. You can also put a cold rag over your forehead or neck area.

3. Don't over eat. Eating a big meal forces your body into metabolic mode causing more heat. Eat more frequent snacks throughout the day.

4. Eat spicy food (if it doesn't bother you). You may sweat after eating a spicy dish, but your body temperature does not go up at all. Instead, you are cooled when the sweat evaporates.

5. Use an ice pack or a bottle filled with ice water and place it on your ankles or under your knees. It will cool your whole body down.

6. Use box fans in conjunction with ceiling fans . During the summer, a ceiling fan should (in most cases) be running counterclockwise when viewed from below. Combine that with box or window fans to draw air into your room and then out of your room.

7. Use your microwave to cook. It is your most efficient kitchen appliance and it will not fill your home with heat, like an oven.

8. Shut down unnecessary electronic devices . This includes TVs, computers, entertainment systems or anything with a transformer.

9. Drink plenty of water. You need to sweat to stay cool. You can't sweat if you are dehydrated.

10. Close doors to unused rooms and open closets. Make sure your home is air-tight when you need to keep cooler air inside.

11. Have a window strategy. This is a more detailed explanation of tip number 6. You need to figure out wind direction and open/close your windows in a combination to create a "wind tunnel" effect by opening the window where the breeze is coming in, closing most other windows and then opening one window to let the breeze out.

Here are the details from Popular Science

12. Put a bowl of ice in front of a fan. This tip has a lot of fans (no pun intended) on the Internet. Basically, make your own ice cubes or use bagged ice. Place the ice in a shallow try in front of the fans, with a towel underneath. The evaporating cold air hits the fan!

13. Make your own air conditioner. This is also a cult Internet topic. It involves more ice, a garbage can, a floor fan and a lot of tubing from Home Depot or Lowes.

Google Search Results On Homemade Air Conditioners

14. Time your showers. Take a shower if you are home around dinner time. It will cool you down for about one hour and at the time when your home starts to cool down.

15. Put your feet in a bucket of cold water. A lot of your body heat emanates from your feet!

16. Wear no clothes. Obviously, this is a personal decision and we don't endorse or encourage public nudity. In the privacy of your own home, the fewer clothes you wear means your body will be cooler.

17. See if it is cooler outside. You may have shady areas or areas with a breeze outside your home that may be cooler than the inside of your house, at least for a short time.

18. Cut back on alcohol consumption. Alcohol will dehydrate you since it is a diuretic, so you can't sweat and stay cooler.

19. Go to the movies or go bowling. Both activities will keep you inside for several hours.

20. Cut back on the coffee! Caffeine is a diuretic like alcohol and it will make it harder to sweat.