5 Easy Ways To Beat The Summer Heat

Some people love hot weather.  I am definitely NOT one of then. It's been rather warm and humid lately and not easy to keep cool unless you have air conditioning. Do pretty much any physical activity outdoors can be a challenge with it's hot out. The other day when I was doing some yard work and the sweat was just rolling down my brow, I remember thinking, "This is what it must be like to be Frosty the Snowman when the sun came out."  Poor Frosty.  Luckily, we won't melt in this crazy heat we'll just feel uncomfortable UNLESS you follow some easy beat the heat tips that I found at realsimple.com.

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Realsimple.com gives you 23 ways, and I've selected five of my favorites:

 

5 Ways to Beat the Heat:

Close everything. Whether the air conditioner is on or off, keep windows and doors shut if the temperature outside is more than 77 degrees (most people start to sweat at 78). Whenever the outside air is hotter than the inside air, opening a window invites heat to creep in, so keep an eye on your outdoor thermometer and shut windows and doors accordingly.

Block the sun. Close the curtains and blinds in your house. Don't underestimate what a big difference this can make in keeping your home comfortable. Doing this can actually reduce the amount of heat that passes into your home by as much as 45 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Make a makeshift air conditioner. If it's hot but not humid, place a shallow bowl of ice in front of a fan and enjoy the breeze. As the ice melts, then evaporates, it will cool you off.

Spritz yourself. Keep a spray bottle in the refrigerator, and when the going gets hot, give yourself a good squirt. I personally use this trick a lot, especially when I'm outside doing yard work. It really takes the edge off the heat.

Fan strategically. If the day's heat is trapped inside your home, try a little ventilation at night or when the temperature drops below 77. Window fans can really help cool your house down but here's the trick: make sure you face the fan blades outside to suck warm air out of the house and pull cooler air in. It may seem counter-intuitive but according to  Bill Nye, 'the Science Guy', ."Having a fan blowing in is a good idea―but it's not as effective as one that's blowing out."

I invite you to try these tricks out if summer heat is just too much for you to bear, especially if you want to save money on your electric bill and not run and air conditioner some or all the time. Stay cool!