Any tips on keeping cool?

[piskieinboots]

and do remember - it will be raining on Sunday

[shirlthegirl43]

Its a bit late but you should have cavity wall insulation and loft insulation...that should help.

We don't have cavity walls and no loft so we sit in the original room of the house with its 18 inch-thick walls Blooming hot upstairs in the evenings under the dutch roof

[snohare]

How do you fancy summers like this 2 years in 5 by 2017 ? I think we will be growing somewhat different crops then...goodbye brassicas at the lottie, hello bras !

[marigold007]

Drink lots of water. Keep pitchers of drinks ready in the fridge. Switch to lighty sweetened lemonade and iced-tea (shock! horror!). hm. I think I'll make some sun-brewed in a minute...

Wear cotton and other breathable fabrics. Up-dos for long hair works well too.

I'm still using my Winter duvet. I guess it's time to switch. Although, it is fun pulling it back three or four times a night to let all the sweat evaporate. lol.

[Madasafish]

Our 1812 house has 2 feet thick + stone walls so it is cool in the morning .. but by 9pm has become a night storage heater ..:-(

(It has cavity walls - of a sort - and loft insulation....)

A wet T shirt and sleeping on top of the bed helps.. waking up when cooler and going under the duvet at 3am.

Mind you running in this weather means a very impressive sweat even at 6.30am... great for the pores..

[quark1]

This time of year I keep a footspray (peppermint-base) and face spray (w-hazel base) in the fridge. A simple pump action aerosol of chilled water can be just as refreshing.

Also I use a flannel with cold not freezing water and frequently either wrap around back of neck or place over face. A hand towel similarly wettened and placed over legs may also help.

And when the rains comes - just hope its night-time - leave your clothes indoors and run out and cool-off in the privacy of your gardens! Just watch those curtains twitching! Apologies to those of you who may not have one, a garden that is - sorry.

[kirsty b]

Have curtains on south side of house closed, I live in a 3 storey, so kitchen and living room is ok at mo, but tonight the bedrooms are going to be like ovens again.
Himself has had the ceiling fan in our room going all day so he can sleep. Seems to have worked cos I haven't heard him thrashing about trying to get comfy

[dexterdoglancashire]

Thanks for these excellent tips everyone. There were quite a few I hadn't thought of.
I was still weeding the back garden at 10pm last night, to try to get cooler. We live in a bungalow, and the sun shines at the back of the house ie. lounge and our bedroom in the afternoon/PM. The bricks can be red hot at times. I actually slept in the lean-to (conservatory for you posh folk) with all the windows open and the fan on. Dexter couldn't figure out what was going on!

[NOG]

Air Conditioning unit ...OH bought one today,

It will be the last time you use it then.

[FionaH]

Been sat out in the garden till nw, was lovely. Stinking hot during the day though

[di]

Not sure that it works,but not only keep your curtains shut,but also keep your upstairs windows shut during the day.Only open them in the evening once the air has cooled...otherwise you're just letting warm air in!
When I spent a summer in Turkey,the ultimate cool me down drink for the locals was a cup of hot apple tea...personally I think a pint of ice cold beer works far better!
As for bedtime...Daisy has taken to sleeping on the floor this last week...think I may follow suit!

[Two_Sheds]

You could all come round my place ... we had fog for a week, then one day of hot sun and now it's raining.
Our house faces north so apart from the kitchen it's very cool inside (and freezing in winter)

I keep the kitchen (south facing, big windows like a greenhouse) curtain closed all day to keep the house cool ... it really makes a huge difference, about 5 degrees

[Polly Fouracre]

It won't make you cooler but it may make you feel better if you remember that this won't last for long, it never does in this country which is why I love our climate!

[BFG]

Anyone would think we'd hit 40 or 50 degrees. It's been what, touching 30. That's not much more than some people have their heating set to and a would be considered normal, or even cool else where in summer.

[Sue]

Hi
I keep bottles of water in the freezer, when they're frozen solid I take them out and put in my backpack to take to the allotment. This means I have a nice cold backpack against my back and lots of very cold water when I get to the allotment. If you take several, keep some in a coolbag with one of those blue freezable "bricks" to keep the iced water for longer.

If I've got any cooking to do I do it v early or late so I don't have to have the oven on during the hottest period.

Wet flannel kept in the fridge is nice for a cool down too.

At the moment it's been bearable and haven't used the air-con yet. It's when we get the heat and the high humidty I can't bear it.

Sue