Got any heat wave hints & helps...?

[UnknownChef86]

A large part of the United States is currently in the grip of a heat wave. Since this tends to roll around every year (in one place or another)...do you have any hints/tips to help survive it more easily? Ideas for if/when the power fails (during a heat wave) would be great, too!

[paulawylma]

I usually camp in June, so I have some tips. Eat light and cold foods during the heat of the day. Cook in early morning or after sunset. Second, battery operated fans can be a lifesaver--make sure you have batteries stored. Third, the weather channel recommended putting a bowl of ice in front of the fan for homemade air conditioning. FYI, several websites, like lifehacker, will give instructions on building an air conditioner using a styrofoam cooler, ice and a battery operated fan. Fourth, keep your windows closed and your drapes covering the windows, keep lights and indoor cooking down (microwaves cook cool). Fifth, before you go to bed, wet a t-shirt and sleep in that or wet a sheet and sleep under it. Sixth, I have ne'er tried it but Imread that in India, they place wet fabric or sheets over any open doorways or windows so that the wind blows though and cools the house.

For food storage, get a five day cooler and keep it indoors or in the shade. Ice can last the whole five days but in the sun it will melt in only two to three days. Eat the perishables first and cook outdoors, don't heat up the house.

Of course, the public libraries have air conditioning and are free to the public and often have Internet access. Get a library card and use it in a regular basis to save money on books, music and videos.

[UnknownChef86]

Years ago, I used to be a breadmaker at a bakery. During the summer I would come to work at midnight, and it would be 95F...before I ever turned the ovens on! After turning the ovens on, it would be well over 100F...for hours on end.

So what I started doing was go into the bathroom (I was the only one there), remove my shirt, rinse it in hot water (yes, hot...I'll explain), wring it out really well, and put it back on. The evaporation process instantly made it feel about ten degrees cooler. When my shirt dried out enough that I started feeling hot again...I simply repeated the process.

The reason for hot water instead of cold is that it's less of a shock to your body. Originally, I used cold water...but you know how much fun it is to put a cold, wet shirt on...? Yeah. If you use hot water, it goes on fairly comfortably (no temperature shock) and due to evaporation, cools itself down very quickly.

I still use this "trick" at my current job...and it works beautifully!

[Gloria 15x]

Put a Wet washcloth in a plastic bag and freeze it. Hold it to the back of your neck or underarms. It helps greatly.

[OH, let me try that!]

UnknownChef86 wrote:
Years ago, I used to be a breadmaker at a bakery. During the summer I would come to work at midnight, and it would be 95F...before I ever turned the ovens on! After turning the ovens on, it would be well over 100F...for hours on end.

So what I started doing was go into the bathroom (I was the only one there), remove my shirt, rinse it in hot water (yes, hot...I'll explain), wring it out really well, and put it back on. The evaporation process instantly made it feel about ten degrees cooler. When my shirt dried out enough that I started feeling hot again...I simply repeated the process.

The reason for hot water instead of cold is that it's less of a shock to your body. Originally, I used cold water...but you know how much fun it is to put a cold, wet shirt on...? Yeah. If you use hot water, it goes on fairly comfortably (no temperature shock) and due to evaporation, cools itself down very quickly.

I still use this "trick" at my current job...and it works beautifully!

Why not just go naked? That's what I do when it's hot. Well, the whole work thing.... May not work there, but at home? Loving it.