Sounds familiar? Clothes sticking to your body, constant trips to the fridge for cold drinks, exhaustion and the feeling that it is too hot to think – not to mention getting some sleep. Not quite ready to run the air conditioning system and dread the next electricity bill? The expected heatwave for Sunday and Monday is possibly record-breaking. Here are some low cost tips and ideas for getting comfortable in the heat – some simple and proven, others of the slightly more creative variety.
Eat and drink water
The first commandment in hot weather is of course to drink a lot. And you need several liters of fluid a day: so vary what you drink. Do not wait until you are thirsty – in really hot weather you can already be dangerously dehydrated without feeling thirsty. At least eight glasses of drink on hot days is a sensible rule of thumb.
What else works in the heat? Salted watermelon, you will find that a single serving both hydrates effectively and tastes good: A light sprinkle of salt on the watermelon brings out the taste and helps the body hold on to the liquid you add longer. Fruit in general is known to contain large amounts of water and also natural sugar which helps the body stay in shape when temperatures climb dangerously close to your pain threshold.
Ice tea is good for hydrating. Brewing your own ice tea saves a trip to the store carrying a heavy load in the heat. It takes far less energy to carry a pack of tea bags or tea in bulk than it does to carry a tray of ready-brewed ice tea.
In addition to drinking a lot and varied, you should consider eating easily digestible foods such as fruits and vegetables instead of meat. Both white and red meat require more digestive effort of the body, and initiate processes that require energy. Energy consumption creates heat, and you end up feeling hotter than before the meal and not least, hotter than necessary. Small, frequent meals are better than few and large.
Set the air in motion
Turn on ceiling fans or other fans to get the air circulating. Fans are far cheaper to operate than air conditioning or cooling systems. Moving air removes excess heat from the body. If you place a bowl of ice directly in front of a table fan, you increase the cooling effect considerably. Some go even further in their ingenuity and make their own small refrigeration system that is almost free to operate. Use a cooler (bag, trunk, ice chest), put some ice in it, and mount a small fan into its lid or to one of the edges when it is open. Turn the fan on and you will find the temperature lowers considerably in your surroundings. See picture of cooler below.
While we’re talking about moving air: An old trick is to hang a damp sheet or other piece of cloth in front of an open door, it makes the air that enters the room cooler.
Cold body
Light clothing and preferably a hat are of course good in the heat. A small spray bottle of water that can be used to shower a sweaty body can also provide fairly effective cooling, albeit only for a while until the clothes dry out.
If you have sweated properly, it helps to put cloths or towels dipped in water on areas that are particularly sensitive to heat. Wet cloth on the neck, elbows, back of the knees and on the ankles provides particularly good cooling.
A hot shower does well when the thermometer exceeds what is comfortable. It may seem a little strange to shower in hot water (lukewarm, not steaming hot), but if you shower in ice-cold water, you are actually telling your body to start a process to increase your body temperature. You do get an immediate cooling effect from a cold tear, but in the slightly longer term you will be warmer than you were before.
Stop the heat before it enters the house
Many Spaniards have chosen apartments facing north. It makes sense when the summer heat hits hard. We northerners often want a south-facing house. If you are lucky, you may have a home facing the sea. A slight breeze can do wonders. If not, you may want to stop the heat before it enters the house.
Curtains can be used both to keep the heat inside in the winter and to prevent it from getting in during the summer. In the morning, draw the curtains close as soon as “the sun starts heating up”. The thicker the curtains, the better the effect. You only open the curtains in the evening, when the air has become cooler. Awnings and blinds are used in a similar way.
And while we’re on the topic of cold house: also try eating cold food, the Spanish tomato soup gazpacho is served ice cold – and is an excellent choice in the summer heat. Avoid food that requires heat and takes a long time to prepare – both you and the home quickly become overheated by keeping the gas burner and stove running over time.
Switch off electrical appliances that are not in use. Computers and televisions that are on standby use electricity and increase the temperature in the room.
One last tip: The ground floor is usually cooler than the floors higher up. Sleep as far down as possible. That hot air rises is a well-known fact. If you can and it is safe, you can of course consider sleeping outdoors.
Finally: Do not forget our four-legged friends, they also need more drinks and a little extra care in the heat. Remember that they lack protection on paws and can easily get burns on hot surfaces. Asphalt is especially bad for pets and can cause them permanent burns.
Stay cool!
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