Make tea and shut the windows: seven life hacks to help you survive the summer heat

Summer heat can be a real challenge even for those who love the warmth and sunshine. High temperatures can lead to fatigue, dehydration, and other health problems, making our daily lives more difficult.

However, there are many simple and effective life hacks to help you stay cool and comfortable on hot summer days. BOBVILA writes about seven of them.

Freeze your pillow

If the high temperature doesn't subside at night, the heat can interfere with your sleep. One quick fix is to roll up your pillow, place it in a plastic bag, and freeze it for 10 minutes. If the freezer is already full of ice cream, freeze only the pillowcase. Quick freezing creates a temporary cooling effect that can help you doze off. As a backup, keep an extra pillowcase in the freezer so you can quickly change it if you wake up in the middle of a stuffy night.

Wet the sheets

The so-called Egyptian method promises to keep you cool on hot summer nights. Soak a sheet or large bath towel in cool water and wring it out or run it through a spin cycle in your washing machine until it is damp but not dripping. This will be your new heat blanket. Keep a spray bottle with water and a little alcohol by the bedside: if you wake up in the heat, spray the sheet extra. Another idea in the same vein is to wet and wring out a sheet and then hang it in front of the open window closest to your bed to make the breeze even more pleasant.

Break the ice

Place a bowl full of ice in front of your desk fan. As the ice melts, the fan blows cooler air at you. Of course, you need to be close enough to enjoy the benefits. It's best to try this trick while you're working at your desk or put the fan and bowl combination next to the stove on your kitchen table while you cook.

Close the curtains

While you may not want to block the view of your beautiful surroundings, closed curtains and drapes can help keep your home cool. Even double-paned energy-efficient windows have a hard time dealing with triple-digit temperatures; help them out by closing window coverings to block heat from entering your room.

Make menthol tea

The organic compound menthol activates protein sensory receptors in the mouth that make us feel cold. Therefore, foods that contain menthol, such as mint, tarragon, basil, and oregano, give a feeling of coolness. Oregano tea may not taste particularly good, but a glass of iced cold mint tea on a hot day can be quite tasty and refreshing.

Reduce the use of household appliances

Home appliances, electronics, and even ordinary light bulbs heat up your home, so turn them on as little as possible. Run the washing machine only when it is fully loaded and hang laundry on a clothesline. Do not use a dishwasher. Instead, wash dishes in the sink and let them air dry. Stay away from the oven and stove and opt for the microwave or grill.

Turn on the fan when the air conditioner is on

Using a ceiling fan while the air conditioner is running can double the cooling effect. The air conditioner lowers the air temperature and the fan distributes cool air throughout the room. The increased air circulation creates a breeze-cooling effect.

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