I think it’s possible that I am the only Brit absolutely LOVING this heatwave we have going on at the moment – it always makes me chuckle when I think about how us Brits respond to extreme weathers. We just don’t cope – 5 inches of snow? Shut down. 38C heat – shut down. Schools are shutting, people are off work – there is even a national extreme weather warning ha! Just drink water, stay in the shade and buy a fan… but this is Britain, and I will concede that we have very little air con facilities in most residential homes, our old buildings aren’t made for heat and… yeah, we’re just crap with anything but rain.
So if you’re like my husband and eldest son and wondering if it’s possible to peel your skin off, then here are a few hacks to get cooler in the heatwave!
Create a home air con, without the cost.
Image credit: Popular Mechanics
Super easy to do you can either attach frozen water bottles to your fan OR place a bowl of ice in front of the fan and let the air blow over it. LUSH. Is it as effective as an actual air con machine? No – but you can buy one of those for your home from Amazon here.
Ice towel for cooling you down
I’ve actually just made one of these and whacked it in the freezer for when the kids come home as I know Reuben is going to be finding it tough. It’s exactly as it sounds – put a towel in cool water, wring it out until it’s damp and then put it in the freezer – keep repeating. Drape over shoulders for a cooling effect, or hold against your head. This is also a good one if you’re feeling sick to be honest.
Frozen hot water bottle
Yup, freeze a hot water bottle and take it to bed with you to help you sleep, or even just hold it against yourself on the sofa – but make sure you put it back in it’s cover or it might well freeze burn your skin! I’ve also seen this used inside pillow cases to try and keep a bit of cool, or to rest feet on!
Have a cool shower before bed and first thing
Sounds counter productive to have a cool shower before bed as it wakes you up but actually, it can be really helpful in cooling you down if you’re struggling in the heat – which is going to stop you sleeping anyway. Pro tip – I get in the shower at a warm/cool temperature and slowly decrease it so I’m not shocking my body.
Cool mats… for pets but for you.
Yup, forget the pets (I jest, defo don’t they are probably hotter than you!) grab a pet cooling bed or mat from somewhere like Home Bargains or online and use it to sit on on your sofa OR, even better, under your fitted sheet in bed! It’s a game changer!
Make your own lollies
Much cheaper and more effective than buying and buying, plus you can make them however you like – juice is always a winner for my kids. Bonus tip – hold ice or a plain lolly against your wrists and pulse points to bring your temperature down.
