Wow – summer here in Toronto has started with a blast of heat. We’re lucky to be living in this era of air conditioned comfort. Our ancestors had to sit outside under a shade tree and vigorously fan themselves to create a breeze to stay cool. Cooking must have been torture! They survived, and we will too.
We may be spoiled now with all the electrical means of keeping us cool, but sometimes even that isn’t enough. What do you do to keep cool when the temperatures soar? I’ll share a few “Keeping Cool” tips with you!
- If you must wear clothing, keep it light colored, natural and loose. Natural fabrics such as cotton, silk, and linen can breath and will also wick the perspiration from your skin.
- Get wet! If you can swim, that’s great, but a spritz with a water bottle will help too. Any breeze on a moist area makes you feel cooler.
- Stay in the shade. Stay out of those baking rays of Mr. Sun. Keep the shades pulled in your home, protect the interior of your car with window shades, or use an umbrella as a sun shade. Especially keep the back of your neck shaded.
- Go low. It’s true – heat rises, so go to the lowest floor in your home. The basement nearly always stays cool even without air conditioning.
- Stay hydrated with icy beverages, but not alcoholic ones! Alcohol can act as a diuretic and actually dehydrate you more.
- Get on the water! Air moving across water is always cooler.
- If all else fails, remember that store or restaurant that is always freezing cold? Go there. Visit the mall, library, or other air conditioned indoor area.
If you can plan long term, you can make sure your home is geared for staying cool too by choosing a light colored roof, installing attic vents and fans, making sure your home is well insulated, install reversible ceiling fans, keep brick and stone landscaping away from touching the house, install awnings to shade your windows, and shade your home with trees.