Last Updated on May 12, 2022
Summer can be brutally hot in many places around the world, including Australia and New Zealand. Temperatures on average often exceed 35℃, and with the humidity, that temperature can creep up towards 40℃.
Unfortunately for many of us, there simply isn’t much they can do about the heat – at least in the winter, you can bundle up. However, all is not lost. There are definitely ways to cool off in the summer months, without having to break the bank and splurge on an air conditioning unit.
Here are a few alternatives to AC that reduce the heat. Though they may not be as good as an air conditioner, they also cost comparatively very little.
Shut the blinds and close the curtains
One of the most effective ways to combat the heat in the summer is to close the house off from it. This is sort of a catch-22 because sitting in the darkness in the summer isn’t necessarily very good for your mental health, but shutting the blinds and closing the curtains can reduce the internal heat of space by up to 30%.
Glass is a conductor of heat, so any heat that hits the glass from the sun will be transferred to the glass and into whatever room. Make sure you cover up your windows somehow on the hottest days of the summer.
Learn where to cool your body off
Humans have naturally occurred ‘cooling spots’ on their bodies. This is often where your blood pools closest to the skin — so, your ankles, your groin area, your neck, and the back of your head. You can also learn stuff like this and more if you take a sports massage course.
Your arms are great options too, wrists and forearms in particular. Place an ice pack on any of these spots, or simply run your wrists under semi-cold water for a while and let your body cool down naturally.
If outside, swim
One of the best things to do to help you cool off is to install a swimming pool. These can either be above-ground or in-ground, depending on your space and financial constraints. Plunge pools are usually great to swim in during the summer months and are often in-ground investments.
Exercising in the water is fantastic for your body during the hottest months of the year. The low impact on your joints means that you’re not working up as much of a sweat.
Also, being in the water helps cool your body off faster than exercising outdoors out-of-water. You don’t even have to be exercising hard for it to help cool you off — a casual dip will do just fine.
If you do not have a pool, make sure that you invest in getting one this summer. You do not need to look at a lot of factors, apart from taking care of the pool drains and the space that will be required.
Create a natural air current
There are a couple of ways to create a natural cooling air current. The first is to open windows on either (and opposite) sides of the house, this will create a natural air current, even with the slightest of breezes by creating an air tunnel.
Another air-tunnel creation option is to place one fan inward by the window and another fan outward by the opposite window and run them consistently – this may help you create greater air circulation.
Lastly, the other way to create a cooling air current is to hang a damp cloth or curtain in front of a window that’s getting a lot of heat. The hot air that passes through the cloth evaporates the water that’s contained within the fibers, creating a cool stream of air — science.
Cold compresses and cold blankets
Use cold compresses on your forehead, or even something like a blanket that you bundle up and refrigerate, then use on yourself to help cool off. Of course, it won’t last forever and will eventually warm up, but you’ll at least give yourself half an hour or so of relief.
Bamboo everything
Bamboo is a great fabric for temperature regulation. Buy some bamboo bedding, bamboo underwear, and other clothing to help wick sweat and regulate your body temperature better.
Some companies are creating products centered around bamboo clothing, which is also a fantastic renewable resource. Environmentally friendly and cooling? Best of both worlds.
There are plenty of different ways to keep yourself cool this summer, regardless of whether you live in a city or in the country. Don’t let yourself become a victim of heatstroke when you don’t have to break the bank to get cool.
