The Great 'Ways to keep cool' Hunt

double_mummy

ice packs that you use for lunches positioned around the body

take all your clothes off (my LO was sat their earlier complaining how he was boiling to death with his coat on!)

sit on the floor -hot air rises

have a shower right before bed lay towels over bed then go to bed wet

keep hair wet

watch something cold on the tv - ice caps and penguins etc

siegemode

cold damp/wet on the back of your neck

ice packs wrapped in damp cloth/flannel held or place where needed.

If you cool the inside of your wrists either with the cool pack or cold running water that cools the blood circulating and will cool the whole body. hth

pigpen

I have a wonderful old house which is very cool so I am just staying inside.. it is quite lovely!

Badrick

We fitted ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room a few years ago, not overly pretty but effective and very quiet.

Kaz2904

Keep curtains, blinds and windows shut during the day and open them at not to let the hot air out and the cool air in. Wear nothing on your feet (flip flops or sandals). If you have a tiled floor, stand on it barefoot.
Don't do what I did and spend the entire day outside gardening with no hat on .

meg72

Have finally had to give in and buy an electric fan, I have previously resisted as dont like spending on electric but have found as I get older I cant cope with the heat.

The only one left in my local argos was 40.00 but I had to have it and its bliss.

dronid

The core things to remember are that heat rises and evaporation is the best natural cooler.

Heat rising
So if you have 2 floors in your house open the windows on the lower floor on the shady side of the house and the upper windows that should put a cooling breeze through. Opening the attic should be fine too as it will be ventilated too - just make sure you have a lower window(s) open to draw the air through (this is OK on the first floor if you need to keep the ground floor ones shut.

If (like me) you live on one level try to open windows on the opposite sides of the building to create some kind of thermal gradient to allow ventilation.

Evaporation
Water evaporation is pretty much the best cooling effect you can get - often better than ice or icy stuff. A wet towel around the neck/ accross the head etc does wonders or wet a t-shirt and wear it though put towels down on the sofa so it doesn't go soggy. Wet stuff coupled with a breeze is even more effective so, if you have a fan use it where you're sitting with the wet t-shirt trick and you'll be suprised how cool you get. Wet hair works too. Actually the water doesn't have to be that cold - normal tap water temperature is fine. When in bed - as suggested hang a wet towel over the window or a wet sheet - even put a bucket of water under the sheet and put the end in - it will continue soaking up the water until it's all evaporated so all night aircon.

Try not to cool your hands down with icy stuff - or to a lesser extent your feet. Those are acting as radiators by your body releasing excess heat from your core. If you cool them too much or too rapidly your capilaries close and your body stops releasing as much heat. Just below room temperature seems to work fine - and cooling the pulse points cools you without stopping the hands radiating.

Shielding.
If you have a sunny side of your buildingdo as people in hot climates do. Shut the blinds/curtains etc. If you can still leave the window open and close shutters it's perfect or you can try the wet sheet trick there though the trick is more about reflecting the light back out. If you close the window though you are allowing the heat to build up. Light coming in heats surfaces and the heat can't get out - it's how a greenhouse works - you have to have ventilation.

Hope this is helpful though I think a lot has been posted.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I go into shops to enjoy the free aircon. Had a lovely frosty browse in some fancy place by Sloane Sq, being glared at by shop staff as I looked at £600 skirts in my 5 year old New Look shoes. Cooled me down a bit before I got on the Tube Inferno.

SailorSam

You've got to sit down and think about what clothes you're wearing.
I know this sounds pretty daring but, yesterday i went out and i didn't put my woolly vest on.

PeterCee

When the outside temperature starts to get up into the 30's, bringing air in from outside starts to become less effective.

Then the only really effective solution is air conditioning.

I've got it fitted in the bedroom, windows tightly closed, blinds drawn, door shut and the room kept at a lovely cool 21 Deg C whilst the rest of the house is as hot as an oven.

Unfortunately it isn't cheap for something really effective :

Can't post the link to the unit here, but it's by olimpiasplendid.co.uk

Many would say I'm mad for spending £1,500 just for a good night's sleep and the peace of mind that no matter how hot it gets, I can retire to the bedroom and chill out.

Sure it uses electricity, but in my case my solar panels are generating surplus electricity all day long so daytime use is effectively free.

People spend thousands on their cars and hundreds of thousands on their homes so why not spend good money on something which controls the comfort of your environment.