apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I use the wet sheet trick and it works great for atlanta weather....how i wish i dint have carpets in the house... :(...it actually pumps up the heat..and keeping the house clutter free gives a visual calm and peace...having everythign in light shades of yellow and green (bedsheets, pillow ccovers) brings in a "cool" tinge to the house

I learned this trick sleeping upstairs at my grandparents it got VERY hot at night). A damp washcloth (cool water) across the forehead and inside of the wrists works wonders.

Move to San Francisco!

The plant thing isn't just a visual trick, plants breath air, their exhalation acts like a tiny air conditioner. They push slightly cooler air out and helping it circulate in your house. (Think how much cooler it feels when you sit in the grass outside)
Also if you can, open a window on either side of the house (or in my case apartment) the air will push in one window and out the other like a wind tunnel, if you can place a fan at one end to push air out, and a fan at one end to pull air in that can help too.
Go for loose fitting natural fibers. Silk and cotton absorb the sweat from your body and pull it away from you. Wearing around a skimpy spandex tank might seem like a cool idea, but try a loose cotton t-shirt instead.

Same as belmontmedina, in August, Ottawa can get pretty warm (for Ottawa, at least...) so when trying to sleep on a hot night, a damp washcloth with cold water, placed on your stomach (yes the first 2 seconds you do squeel and scream but it keeps you cool, I promise).

This one sounds a little obscure - put your sheets in the freezer, and remake your bed right before you go to sleep. The sheets are both crisp and cool, and it works pretty well.

Eating or drinking cooling herbs and foods: Cuccumbers, Turmeric, Mint, etc. Obviously staying hydrated with lots of water helps too.

Keep some dampened washcloths, in a zipper-style bag or container, in the freezer. Using one to wipe your face and wearing it on the back of your neck makes a big difference.

Set a fan in front of a BLOCK of ice - it lasts longer! When the weather starts warming up I store 2 or 3 blocks in my freezer just for this purpose.

As soon as the sun starts going down, open windows on opposite sides of your home, and get the fans going. Keeping the air moving, during a hot spell, seems to make the house feel up to 10F cooler.

Figure out what liquid works better for you - ice cold (lemonade, iced tea) or room temperature - and stay hydrated.

If you have hair that's long enough, braid it into two french braids or corn rows. This works really well if you do it right after washing it, while it's still wet. The water evaporates and cools off the scalp.

Do a load of laundry (wash only) and take out a loose fitting shirt. Put it on while it's wet and sit in front of a fan. I've done this when I've had to drive my car without A/C on very hot days.

I guess my ideas work better in low humidity areas.

Please also realize that air-conditioning can be a life-saver for some people. We are having a heat wave here in Houston. We are seeing highs every day near or above 100. With the heat index factored in, it was 114 degrees one day recently. I keep checking the weather and there is no end in sight.

High summer temperatures are a real danger. This is from the National Weather Service:
"Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to the demands of summer heat. Among the large continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter-not lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes-takes a greater toll. In the 40-year period from 1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar radiation. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died."

"Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation, and high relative humidity retards evaporation." Humidity is Houston's middle name!

I've been in someone's house that was trying the fan blowing over ice trick in lieu of a/c. That doesn't cut it in a Texas summer. I was sick and feverish for two days afterwards.

So, please stay safe!

I've heard circus workers used to wrap ice cubes in handkerchiefs and tie them around their wrists.

I just read (online) about a man in Japan that came up with plants keeping the air clean and cooler. I found it on an eco site . He place LOTS of plants inside a new office building .
There is a list of what plants work the best . But this office building is not using any A/c other than plants.So I have been buying them as I can afford them..I am Texas. it is never cool here . ever- never ever - did I mention never ever cool.
Maj .. an oh I can't wait to go home next year for a highschool renunion...SAN FRANCISCO YAHHHHHOOOOOO

"Please also realize that air-conditioning can be a life-saver for some people. We are having a heat wave here in Houston. We are seeing highs every day near or above 100. With the heat index factored in, it was 114 degrees one day recently. I keep checking the weather and there is no end in sight."

Oh puh-lease. I live in Australia, where we have weeks like that in summer, and we do just fine without AC.

There are plenty of ways to stay cool and safe without destroying the planet just because you want it to be cool inside.

Re: Rebekkap,

Just fine like this?

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/01/30/Heat-blamed-for-19-deaths-in-Australia/UPI-71811233344641/

A young, healthy person should be able to cope with summer heat in most areas. Elderly or sick - not so much. You might consider expanding your horizons a bit before making asinine comments like "destroying the planet just because blah blah blah."

don't forget hiding in the basment. Being underground, our basment is always a lot cooler and much more tolerable than the rest of out house.