Registered Charity No: 1080687
23 Black Bear Lane,
Newmarket,
CB8 0JT
With temperatures in the UK reaching levels that we have never seen before; many Brits are struggling to cope in an environment we’re not used to! With another heat wave expected early August, we’ve put together some collective wisdom from around the world to help you all stay cool and comfortable this summer.
Home
Keep your doors and windows closed during the day. It’s a common misconception in this country that doors and windows being open will keep the house well ventilated. What you’re actually doing is letting all the hot air in! This makes a huge difference, especially when there is a run of excessively hot days in a row.
Do everything you can to keep the inside the house cooler than the outside. You wouldn’t leave the fridge open in the heat. You should treat your house the same.
When the outside cools down at night you can have your doors and windows wide open to get the colder air inside. Use fans or air conditioning units to get the air moving through the house. You’re trying to create a through-draft.
As soon as the temperature outside warms up, often very early morning in the Summer, shut the doors, windows and curtains. Keep your house dark and closed up during the day to keep the sunshine out and the air inside cool.
If there are areas of the house which see the early morning sun, shut these curtains before you sleep so the sun doesn’t get in first thing.
Days Out
Drink water. Repeat. Drink water. Repeat.
You can not drink enough water in this heat. You will get de-hydrated far more quickly and this can lead to dangerous effects, so please make sure you are drinking water almost continuously throughout the hot days.
If you need to take water with you to leave the house for the day:
When it’s time to leave:
If you’re leaving the house in the car, then park in the shade wherever you can. Cover your steering wheel and seats with towels or blankets so they don’t get so hot. Metal buckles get especially hot in the sun, so be careful to check these before you put your little one in their seat.
Leave your windows open a crack at the top, whether you park in the sun or shade. Just a 1 cm crack will do. The rising hot air in the car will escape through the windows, creating a little air circulation.
Windscreen shades make it much easier to keep your car cool.
Find shade wherever you go. Hats and sunglasses are good, but actually just staying in the shade is better. Umbrellas or parasols create portable shade.
Sleep
Shower regularly, not just for hygiene, but just to keep you cool! A quick 60 second dip under water helps you cool down quickly and resets your thermostat. Showering just before bed is especially nice, because who can sleep in this heat?
Sleep with just a sheet over you. Ditch the duvets!
3/4 fill a hot water bottle and put it in the freezer. Have it in bed or just on the sofa with you. Make sure you use a cover on the bottle if you want to have it on your skin.
Find shade wherever you go. Hats and sunglasses are good, but just staying in the shade is better. Umbrellas or parasols create portable shade.
Garden
Create semi-permanent shade. If you have an umbrella or gazebo, put it up a day or two before the heat wave comes, and leave it up. If the sun never hits that piece of earth over the hot days, it will stay cool. If you don’t have a structure like this, you can create makeshift shade with strung up bits of cloth tied to shed or house roofs, trees and fences. The more shade you can make, the more it keeps your garden cool overall. For outdoor shade, you want cover from the sun, but sides open for air to move. If you can achieve this it will really change your experience of the hot days, because everyone gets a little strung out when they’re hot and they have to stay indoors because it’s too hot to be outside!
If you’d like to buy in your very own water cooler before the sun really hits so that you can have ice cold water at the touch of a button in your home or office, give us a call today. We’ve got you covered.
