It’s undoubtedly quite hot outdoors, no matter where you are in the United States. You could be fine if you have access to electricity and air conditioning. Extreme heat, on the other hand, can knock out electricity, making it far more difficult to remain cool with only battery-powered fans—assuming you have fans or batteries at all. Don’t worry: there’s much you can do to keep things cool while you wait for your air conditioner to start working again.
The fundamentals of becoming (and staying) cool
The first step in winning the heated fight is to dress appropriately. Choose loose-fitting clothing that allows air to circulate between your skin and the fabric. Avoid synthetic clothes in favor of organic fibers like cotton and linen, which breath better than any synthetic material. Colors have a role as well: white and other bright colors reflect light (and heat), whereas black and other dark colors absorb it.
Avoid the sun, and if you must go outside, wear long (loose) sleeves and a hat to cover as much of your skin as possible.
And don’t forget to remain hydrated, which is the most important advice for staying cool. Fill a water bottle with water and consume it regularly. If you’re sweating a lot, make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes by eating, drinking sports drinks, or taking hydration pills.
How to keep your house cool in the summer
It’s critical to keep as much cold air in your home as possible, whether your AC was working when the power went out or your house just cooled down overnight. Begin by sealing off the warmest rooms in your house—those without air conditioning or those that receive a lot of direct sunlight.
Close the doors to those rooms and cover them with a towel or a heavy textile, such as a blanket, to keep the hot air out of the place you’re attempting to keep cool. Get whatever you could need from those rooms before closing them off, and don’t go back in. The more you open those doors, the more heat you’ll let in. Finally, close the drapes to keep some light and heat out of your home and life. Curtains that block off light and heat are much more effective.
Whatever you do, your house will gradually warm up during the day, whether from the outside heat or heat radiating from your body. That’s why, whenever possible, you should try a “reset.” Open doors and windows when the temperature decreases, which is most often in the mornings and nights. This will assist in bringing cold air into your home and trapping it for the upcoming hot day.
Don’t give in to the urge to open your fridge door and stand there enjoying the cool wind. You just don’t know how long the power outage will persist, so as nice as the chilly air feels against your skin, it’s better for keeping your food safe.
Finally, a power outage in the middle of a heatwave is ideal for a barbeque. Cooking outside will keep you from using the stove, which will heat your home, as long as you can comfortably handle being outside.
Going above and beyond
You’ve tried everything, but the sweltering temps refuse to budge. There are a few additional things you can do to keep the temperature down.
Simply add water.
You’ve been drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated (congratulations!). Water, on the other hand, maybe a powerful ally outside of your body. Taking a shower is an excellent idea. The water on your skin works in the same way as sweat does: it feels good and cools you off as it evaporates. Make it a warm shower, not a frigid one. According to Adriana Quinones-Camacho, a cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, shivering is your body’s attempt to recover lost heat, and while your skin may feel chilly, your internal temperature will rise. You can take a cooler shower than usual, but don’t go too far from your normal routine.
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Getting your hair damp will keep you cool as well. If it doesn’t work, you may always wet a bandana or towel and wear it around one of your wrists or on your head. Try putting it beneath your armpits or on your groin if that doesn’t work. Because certain areas of the body are generally the warmest, emergency department doctors frequently use ice packs to reduce a patient’s temperature, according to Quinones-Camacho.
Please don’t go upstairs.
If you reside on a multi-story building, you’ve probably observed that the higher you go, the hotter it becomes. Because hot air rises (like it does in hot air balloons), the second or third floors of your home will be far too hot to bear.
Relax and enjoy yourself.
Physical labor should be done early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are cooler. It’s also a good idea to exercise or shift furniture around at those periods. Take a break from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. if you really must be active in the heat. During the summer, this two-hour period is usually the warmest of the day, making it ideal for staying indoors and napping.
Make preparations to flee.
We should all have at least one pool-going companion, but some of us don’t. You can try to make new friends, but you can also band together with the ones you already have and search for a cool, aquatic shelter in your neighborhood. In the middle of a heatwave, public pools and beaches are always a nice option, albeit they may be a bit crowded. Movie theatres and retail malls frequently have their generators, so they may provide a welcome respite from the oppressive heat—as long as their power isn’t out as well.
Make use of the washing basket for assistance.
Wet a towel or sheet, wring it out, then hang it against an open window. As the outside air cools as it travels through the moist cloth, the inside of your home will be efficiently cooled. This approach works well in the bedroom to keep the temperature low while you sleep, and if the heat continues to dry your wet blanket, keep a spray bottle of water near your bed to moisten the cloth as required.
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