Hot yet?
You wouldn’t think it gets hot in Canada but some spots are really miserable. Hot and humid. Hot and miserable. Hot, hot, hot.
Even the Greater Vancouver area on the Wet Coast of Canada can go through heat waves. Temperatures in the low 30s, that’s Celsius. For the Fahrenheit people, make that the low 90s.
Not everyone has air conditioning because there’s only a couple of months of the year when it would be needed. Plus electricity is so expensive, most people can’t afford to run air conditioners for lengthy periods.
Here are my 14 tips to keep cool in hot weather.
1. Create a cross breeze
Open up doors and windows to create a cross breeze.
If you have insects, keep screens on windows and doors, to keep the little blood suckers out. I have mesh screen on my door. I put it around my door with sticky tape and Velcro (included). It also comes with thumb tacks for the times the Velcro and sticky tape combo don’t hold on to the doorway too well, and yes I’ve had to use those tacks! The center portion is held together with magnets. It’s easy for people and dogs to walk through, and then the magnets snap back together again. My dogs figured it out very quickly. I thought the mesh screen would only have a one season use, and that’s not bad for a $25 purchase (beats buying a new $200 screen door!), but it lasted about three years before I replaced it. Magnetic screen door at Amazon. (Disclosure: I’m an Amazon associate and if you click the link and purchase the mesh screen from Amazon, I’ll receive a small commission for the referral.)
2. Set up fans
Put a fan by the window if you like to help suck in fresh air. Some people put a bowl of ice cubes in front of the fan to create an air conditioner like effect. I’ve tried it and didn’t notice a difference, but your fan might do the trick.
3. Install ceiling fans
I’ve always been a ceiling fan person when it comes to light fixtures. Gives light and cools down the room. Very functional. Ceiling fans usually have 3 speeds. I keep it on top speed to help cool down the house, and for sleeping turn it to its lowest setting.
4. Drink cold beverages
Everyone always says to drink lots of water, but if you’re not a water person, drink iced tea. I use a Mr. Coffee Iced tea maker to get iced tea in 10 minutes. Check out my post on 7 ways to kick start iced tea.
If you’re drinking sodas or beer, keep an eye on your consumption of calories. A friend of mine gained 17 pounds one hot summer day from drinking too much! Yikes! Excess water weight gain, it didn’t all stay on her for the long term, but that was pretty weird.
5. Eat frozen grapes
It’s super easy to freeze grapes, and if you start noticing your grapes going a little soft – don’t waste them, freeze them!
I rinse the grapes in water and let them sit in the colander for awhile to dry out. Then I put them into freezer bags. Pretty nice! So refreshing on a hot day.
6. Eat popsicles
When I was a kid we made Kool Aid and poured them into popsicle molds.
These days everyone has a boatload of ideas on healthy popsicles using Greek yogurt and fruit. I say if you’ve got a favorite beverage, pour it in a mold and freeze it.
Check out Country Living with over 40 homemade popsicle recipes.
I’ve also been making this healthy banana fudge popsicle, courtesy of Hungry Girl.
If you’re interested in a popsicle mold like mine, I bought this at Amazon, and comes with 6 molds. The treats I made in the photo are lemonade with raspberries and lime-honey-water with grapes. (Disclosure: if you click the link below and make a purchase from Amazon, I’ll receive a small commission for the referral.)
7. Eat ice cream
Splurge a little and eat ice cream. It’s not going to always stay this hot. Enjoy eating other frozen treats such like ice cream sandwiches. Yum!
8. Go for a swim
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a pool, and certainly those of us who live in colder climates would find it expensive to have one built to use infrequently. Many cities have rec centers with pools. Is there a lake or ocean or another popular swimming area nearby? What about buying a kiddie pool?
My landlords bought this pool for their grandkids to swim in and then built a deck to keep an eye on them.
9. Run through a sprinkler
We all liked doing that as kids. It’s still fun running through a sprinkler as an adult!
10. Head to the basement
If you have a basement, this is the place in the house where it’ll be the coolest because hot air rises. Upstairs can be 10 degrees or higher than the basement.
11. Hit the shower
Having a nice cool shower can help beat the heat.
12. Black out curtains
You can buy black out curtains that will also block out the hot sun during the summer months and help keep the warmth inside during the winter. If you don’t have black out curtains to block the heat, close your shades or blinds on the windows that face the sun during the day. The only curtains I open up during hot days are on the north side of my house.
13. Soak your feet in cold water before going to bed
I sit on the edge of my bathtub, pour in cold water, and soak my feet. A bucket can also do the trick. After I dry my feet, I put lotion on them.
Tip: apply location when you’re sitting on bed. If you put lotion on your feet and then walk to your bedroom, you’ll be picking up lint and dirt from your floor!
14. Keep your pajamas in the freezer
Put your pajamas in the freezer in the morning, and they’ll help keep you cool when you slip them on before going to bed. The pajamas won’t stay cold all night, but that initial coolness should help.
How do you stay cool on a hot day? Share your tips in the comments.
Published by Cheryl @ The Lifestyle Digs on June 21, 2020 and updated links on June 25, 2024.
