Hot Weather Tips

Tips for dealing with hot weather.

Wet Towel

Drape a wet towel around your neck when you are mowing or taking care of other lawn and garden chores. It will keep you much cooler and you will not have the back of your neck sunburned. Keep a cooler nearby with ice water and wring the towel out in this occasionally as you work.

By Harlean from Arkansas

Quick Cool Off or Ice Pack

A wet, wrung out wash cloth or hand towel, frozen in a zipper bag is a good ice pack for injury or just to rub on your body for a quick cool off in the heat.

By Linda

Drink Lots of Water in Hot Weather

Avoid dehydration in the hot weather by keeping a water bottle handy and sipping all day. If you get a 32 oz bottle, just 2 full bottles gives you the 8 recommended glasses. Of course, always drink when you are thirsty, even if you've had your 8 a day.

By Linda

Spray Bottle in The Car

Take a spray bottle in the car with cool water. When you are feeling too hot just spray your arms, legs, feet, and face with the water. It really cools you off. Some people keep the spray bottle in the refrigerator then take it to the car when they leave. This is especially helpful if you don't have or don't want to use air conditioning. The air blowing by and the fan helps cool you off.

Keeping Cool

Lots of shade trees and tall bushes on property.

Reverse cycle window fans if you can't afford or don't want to use A/C. If they're not under awnings or something similar put them on exhaust during heavy rains or rain will suck in and short them out. Don't turn them off unless there's threatening lightning as water can still blow in and short them out. With the double fans it has been our history that the left one will short out first. We have 3 that are like that. If the controls are independent you can still use the other fan.

Pull drapes, shades whatever you have to cover windows on sunny side of house and put those window fans on exhaust.Put the fans on the cool side on Intake and let light in those windows to save on power .

Reverse cycle ceiling fans are nice too. Help keep cool in summer, warm in winter and look great too. Like all fans they are Not fun to clean.

We don't have A/C in our van (way too costly to fix), I got a fan that plugs in the lighter outlet and at least stirs the air. It even has a little slot for air freshener pellets.

The water spray is a great idea and there's water spray battery fans too. Also, get some cheap battery fans. They are wonderful for hot weather power outages.

Don't forget to drink several glasses of water a day. I am finally becoming a believer in this and I get more exercise too. I like to walk in the rain in my yard clothes when there's no threat of lightning. I wear old cloth sandals or flipflops and keep a big towel inside my porch to wrap in. This can feel so good and do wonders for the hair and skin as long as it isn't thundering, you stay close to the house, watch your step and don't chill.

By Linne Dodds