How do you all cope in hot weather?

[NotYou]

I am not sure if it's because as a Brit, I am not used to hot weather often but the past couple of years our summer have been summer, and it's been really nice. We are getting 30 - 35c, and for us that is very hot.
I know many places get 45c or even hotter when it's summer, so I am curious what everyone does to stay cool?


I know a lot of places will have air-con, right, and I assume that is one big factor to help remain cool when you're in a place where it can be (home, work, stores). We here don't have air-con as a common thing at all. Maybe in more expensive or luxury houses but definitely not in ones where I have grown up and still live.


So, I am really wondering what everyone does to help keep cool in hot weather? I know 30c to a lot of you is laughable lol.. but with being redhead too and having lighter/sensitive skin, it is a bit worse for me (same goes for very cold weather).

 

[Deleted member 37064]

It really depends on where you live as to what's considered "hot". Where I used to live, our average temps during summer were 80-85F with moderately high humidity. Though, we'd also have many days well into the 90s and an occasional 100F. Winters averaged about 10F, with a few weeks in the -10F for highs. Where I'm at now, it seems 75F is the average summer high and rarely hits 90F. Last winter barely had days in the 20's while seemed was upper 30's or low 40's was average.

If you don't have A/C, there's some things you can do to make life a little more tolerable: shade or dark blinds/curtains on windows that have direct sun exposure. Have fans circulate air from the cooler side of the home out the window (box or window fans work best) of the hot side. Don't draw hot air in from the sun side. Ceiling fans if you have them (push air down in summer, lift air up in winter). Also, avoiding using the oven or other heat generating appliances if you can help it. I cook about once a week, then use the microwave to reheat what I make.

I was lucky in my last place in that it didn't get direct sunlight and average indoor temps were about 74F even if it was 90+ outside. Rarely needed to run the A/C, and if I did only ran it or one cycle when I got home from work. But, the humidity was an issue, and I'd run the dehumidifier in the evening to help draw the moisture out of the air. Again, not for very long as it would heat things up.

As to activities: go to any big box stores and walk around. Or, an indoor shopping mall if you have them. Go to a movie if they're typically cooled. Beach, water, etc. I've found that just being out of the sun with air movement makes things much more tolerable.

 

[Keziah]

If you're staying inside:

- Ice cold drinks or food (ice cream, popsicles, smoothies, watermelon, etc)

- Getting your skin wet (cold wash cloth, spray bottle, or right after a shower) and standing in front of a fan

- Open the fridge/freezer and stand in front of the cool air for a few blissful seconds, pretending you have aircon

...at least that's how I survived my apartment in college with no AC and a heatwave that lasted most of the summer

 

[Rose]

Oh man, Tennessee summer and having menopausal hot flashes

Yea, we could talk. How long do you have?

I live in humid air soup where you develop swamp ass within 2 minutes of bathing. Don’t bother drying off after that shower! You’ll collect more moisture after attempting to towel in super humid conditions.

In the worst of it, like last night having a hot flash in bed before the ac fully kicked on- I made my spouse fan me while I stripped down. He got a good wind going with the blankets and ceiling fan at one point so I had multiple cooling sources.

I don’t go out in public, but if I did, I imagine my hot flashes would look like us leaving to the car or me going to the bathroom to strip down and pat myself with a wet towel. I’m a huge fan of just sticking my head or breasts in the freezer until the hot flash passes.

I had/have one of those mattress cooling pads on Wishlist.BlackxRose92.com that I would kill to get my hands on after nights like last night. The older women with menopause symptoms like mine that I speak with swear by it. I have a cooling mattress cover, but it’s thin and only cool if you don’t lay directly on it. I have air conditioning, but it is not enough!

 

[AussieCosplay]

Australian here, we didn't have aircon when I was growing up. We just used fans, spray bottles and cool wet washcloths.
In a lot of tropical countries the locals prefer to not use aircon as your body acclimatises to the weather better instead of going from one extreme to another.

Personally summer is now my idea of hell as it triggers my POTs, so on hot days I can barely make it to the kitchen for a drink. I was contemplating splitting my year between Melbourne and Minnesota...stay in winter/spring/autumn forever!
That idea is on hold indefinitely for pandemic reasons though...

 

[CheeseMoon]

Depends on the humidity I guess. It's around 30C (86F) here right now, but the air is dry enough to make it feel just warm and comfortable. I don't really have to do anything to cope except for hydrating. I've lived in other places for shorter or longer periods though (southern Europe, northern Scandinavia, US, Middle East), but the absolute worst in terms of heat was the two plus months (Aug/Sept) I worked in Dallas, TX. Going outside in the very humid 40C/105F was like hitting a wall! It was painful and hard to even breathe. Coping simply meant staying somewhere with AC, and I started to wonder how civilization ever got to Texas in the first place. Crazy. If I ever go back, it would only be for the steak house restaurants (but that's another thread I suppose). Haha!

On the other hand -30C/-22F is just as bad ...

 

[Nigerian Prince]

There was one year I just forced myself to get use to the heat, not immediately taking off layers as soon as we got a little bit of sun. Eventually it got to the point where I could wear a sweater in 36° and not realize how hot it actually was.

 

[Rose]

There was one year I just forced myself to get use to the heat, not immediately taking off layers as soon as we got a little bit of sun. Eventually it got to the point where I could wear a sweater in 36° and not realize how hot it actually was.

I’ve used this to cope with the surgical menopause a bit and it def helps keep the hot flashes less intense!!! I always wondered how my dad and the locals could stand to wear layers and layers and layers in the deep dessert overseas. Likely the same concept.

 

[DoD404]

Eventually it got to the point where I could wear a sweater in 36° and not realize how hot it actually was.

I always wondered how my dad and the locals could stand to wear layers and layers and layers in the deep dessert overseas. Likely the same concept

Yes certainly.
The nomads of the Sahara wear "burnous" which are loose clothing made of woven wool.
Clothes isolate your body from the air and this works in both ways (cold or heat) but you can feel it only over the external body's temperature which is around 36.6 °C

I experimented layers of large clothes too, this seems to create isolating layers of air, a bit the same effect than double glazed windows and it can help to endure the heat. Also clothes stop radiant heat coming from the sun light, and this does a lot of the job. I've been told that clothes color have an effect too, ie blue color would stop better the light than white color, hence the Tuaregs' (called the "Blue men of sahara") clothes.

I worked few months in India, next to Mumbai. Temperatures were really high, about 34°C under meteo's shelters, makes 35-40 felt with 100% of relative humidity. Our lab's thermometers measured up to 50 in few points in the factory and mainly around 38-45 almost everywhere else.
It was at a point that if your body was wet, water came more from your fresh body condensing hot and wet air than from sweating . Here, we appreciated air conditioning which kept the office temperature at around 35 ° C .... but in the rest room only.

Edit: Also, we drunk there lot of hot (even very hot) drinks, mainly Tea. I helps not only to re-hydrate but also to sweat... sweating is the main way and the more efficient one to regulate temperature for a normal human. Don't dry your body too often with a towel when it's hot, just sweat xd.

 

[Lelo1]

After years of open windows, I broke down an bought an air conditioner. End up paying less for power then what I was paying for fans. It also ended up being less noisy. and my computer also had less problem.

As far as non permanent air conditioners. Traditional box air conditioners are very efficient & cheap. And they're also quieter then a in room portable air conditioner.

A saddle or split portable air conditioner is probable the quietest option. but they're also more expensive. With portable split systems, the hose can be very delicate. Any damage to the hose can result in the whole system failing. The user rating and life span on portable split can be abysmal.

Saddles do not have hose issue. But it's less flexible then a portable split.

If you can't put an air conditioner in a window, There are portable air conditioners, Dual Hose Portable Air Conditioner are more efficient then single hose. Closer to the window, the better. But you end up needing more air conditioner, because it doesn't have the efficiency of having the heat exchange outside. Also these units have a built in drip pan for consideration. So they do have to be emptied from time to time. and the filters have to be sprayed out.

I have an portable single vent. I think I spent like 250 on it. And it's lasted like 6+ years an counting. I lucked out an my unit's remote works as a temperature sensor so the systems working on cooling the room based on the temperature where I am, and not where the unit is.

Figuring out your room size before shopping is super helpful, because air conditioners are based on room size.

 

[MarieElise]

I have 3 AC's in a 1300 square foot place. I have had the best luck with the traditional boxed ones (2 of my 3 are those type). The third I have is a portable AC unit, and was the most expensive, yet is the least powerful and effective. Before these 3, I have purchased and used others. Overall, from my experience, the Fridgidaire in the window type, are the best working. More powerful the better.

However, some rentals will not allow in the window types. Honestly, even with 3 going all day in my place, many August days are still really uncomfortable during the middle part of the day. The last few have been around 100 degrees, with high humidity. But as the sun goes down it gets comfier again.

Where I lived before had higher temps, but lower humidity, and was way comfier.

I always find having the shades or curtains drawn makes a huge difference. Some people have recommended freezing grapes and cherries and sucking on those for relief, but I am yet to try that. Sounds like a bit of a choking hazard, so I am wary of trying that (especially since I never sit still and just focus on eating properly). A cold, damp washcloth on the head works wonders too. This one might be obvious, but we only grill with an outdoor grill during Summer months. We keep oven and stove use to a minimum, and only if absolutely necessary, after dark. We also have a mini toaster oven which we use, after dark, rather than the oven which comes with the place (unless it's absolutely necessary to use the main oven).

ETA; Everyone else in the neighborhood seems to do the same. After dark between midnight and 2am, everyone goes outside and starts BBQing. It's kind of funny. Good luck not getting hungry from all the smells around 2am in my neighborhood

 

[DoD404]

ETA; Everyone else in the neighborhood seems to do the same. After dark between midnight and 2am, everyone goes outside and starts BBQing. It's kind of funny. Good luck not getting hungry from all the smells around 2am in my neighborhood

In spain and Argentina they live a lot like this, with shifted hours, waking up early and eating & sleeping very late. Hence naps are mandatory during hot hours of course

After years of open windows, I broke down an bought an air conditioner

If you can't have or install any ACD and have to continue opening windows, never open wide but just a little, like only 1 or 2 cms : Air is on high pressure outside and will come inside depressurizing. This is just like how acts an ACD, you gain easily 1 or 2 little degrees. You find windows blockers to do this. You can gain a bit more by closing the curtains and wetting them.
Or better, as I do : open during the night and close all completely during the day. I have a thermometer outside and one inside and would never half-open any window if it's colder inside... it just makes moving hot air. My former wife opened wide all as soon she felt too hot, it was catastrophic xD

I always find having the shades or curtains drawn makes a huge difference

of course, yes
Closing the shutters (even not completely to have a minimum of light) is better than curtains imo. As they are generally outside, they will protect also the glass of the windows from direct sun's radiations.
And yes, don't use any household appliances when possible (TV, PC, oven, coffee machine, vacuum cleaner, etc...), I am a very tired housewife in summer
I cut also the hot water tank (it heats too much the apartment) and power it only once every 3 days or so to have temperate showers (not too fresh, like 20-25 °C)

ETA : And EAT LESS when very hot weather is installed, else you'd burn calories for nothing

 

[DFT]

This assumes you have an AC. Without AC this just makes it more humid.

Well something easy enough to do - don't run the dryer. After a wash, hang your clothes inside, (drying rack) preferably close to the outlet of the AC unit. You get a small bonus of the evaporate cooling effect, you don't wear your clothes out tumble drying them and the home smells fresh as your detergent scent of choice.

 

[SaffronBurke]

I have an AC, but it only does so much. Most of the summer, it's been above 80F indoors. I'm also kind of menopause-y due to low estrogen, and I have hyperhidrosis, so I've just been miserable.


A dehumidifier is a huge help. "Dry heat" makes a difference - 90F in Arizona is pleasant and comfy, but 70F in Iowa could have you dripping wet because of the humidity. Also, fans, so many fans. Vortex fans are the most powerful and effective at cooling. A floor fan that you can stand over and hold your shirt or dress over so the air blows up your body feels incredible. And don't underestimate the classic hand fan, I find that cooling my face is more effective than cooling my body at making myself feel like I'm not dying.

Avoiding synthetic fabrics has been a HUGE help, but it can be difficult, as almost everything is polyester now. I've tested it so many times, and I'm noticeably hotter in a poly/cotton blend than in a pure cotton, even if the pure cotton is a thicker fabric. Polyester, polyamide, and nylon are thermoplastic fibers, and they trap heat against your body, making you hotter. They're often good at wicking moisture, which is why they're used in workout gear, but they keep your heat in. Rayon, of all the synthetic fibers, is at least a cellulose fiber instead of plastic, so it won't do that. Like cotton, it's pretty breathable, but not super at moisture wicking. Linen is the superior hot weather fiber, if you can find clothes made from it. It's breathable, it's moisture wicking, and it keeps cold air next to your body. It's why you'll see people wearing historical clothes and not melting from the heat despite multiple layers, while people in modern polyester garments are withering. Loose clothing will let cool air flow around your body better than snug clothing, so I ditch the leggings for a caftan and swan around the house like I'm an old-timey movie star.

I also straight up ice myself. Placing ice packs in areas where the blood flows closer to the skin's surface is standard treatment for heat stroke, and will prevent it if you're on the way: back of the neck, armpits, and groin. I lay in bed covered in ice packs until they're warm.

Cold showers can also help, but I'm the kind of people who can break out in a sweat from the energy expenditure even in a cold shower, so it's not for everyone.

Strategic use of window opening + closing is big. Check the hourly forecast, and note when the coldest & hottest parts of the day are. Open the windows as it's getting colder. When it starts to heat back up, close the windows, as well as the blinds/curtains on the side of the house facing the sun. For me, the coldest part of the day is right around sunrise, so 5-6am in the peak of summer, and the hottest part is around 6-7pm, before the sun starts to set. Typically, I will open the windows around 8-9pm, and let the cooling air come in. I try to close them, and the blinds, by 7am, so I can trap all the cold air inside. Blackout curtains, or a blanket over the window, will make this effect more extreme.

I also try to not move more than necessary, and not eat anything that requires heat. Lots of peanut butter and jelly, washed down with ice water. I cut out caffeine, since it's a diuretic, and drink lots of Gatorade to replace all the electrolytes I'm sweating out. Cleaning is done after the sun goes down, and if I have to use the stove, I'll open the kitchen door to help get the hot air out. I keep the lights out during the day, too, because those generate more heat that I don't want.