Keeping Cool In Hot Weather

When you live in or come from the desert areas of the United States or even possibly abroad, you are taught from an early age how to stay cool and above all, how to keep hydrated and keep dehydration at bay. However, just because we know this information, doesn't mean people in other areas due.

Take Seattle for instance. While the east side of the state of Washington is typically dry and hot, Seattle and other others along the Washington and Oregon coast are not as savvy due to the fact that right now triple digit weather is hitting record highs.

Coming from Arizona where the typical summer temperature is 110 degrees, at first I was laughing at all these people that were complaining about how hot it is (the same people who beg for summer to come during the long wet winters), then I realized most people in these areas may have A/C in their cars, they probably (like my family) do not have A/C in their homes.

I quit laughing and realized so many people simply do not know how to keep themselves cool during these record highs and decided I should really educated some of those who do not know how to stay cool.

1- Keep your curtains drawn during the day, especially on the side of your home that gets the hottest sun during the day.
2- Place fans in front of doors and windows if possible to create a cross breeze. We leave our windows open all night to cool the house down and open the doors in the morning to allow the fans to blow cool air through the house.
3- If you have windows and doors opposite each other and a clear path, this is the place for fans to create a cross breeze.
4-Place large pans full of ice in front of your fans and you can create a water cooler effect. This will work equally if you place a sprinkler on your lawn near a window.
5- Use sunscreen for yourselves and your children. There is no Brownie Button for someone who goes to work or the hospital with a serious sunburn and there is no pity when sunscreen is pushed all over the country.
6- Though you may be sitting in a shady place near a lake or river, remember that the sun can and will reflect off the water and give you a sunburn.
7- Wear a hat or scarf on your head.
8- Soak a bandana with cool water and wrap around your head or neck. You can also wrap ice cubes in a banana and tie it around your neck if you are working outside to keep your body cool.
9- This one will sound odd, but wear long sleeves, you may sweat more, but when the air hits you, you will have made yourself a way to keep cool.
10-Drink lots of **WATER**! Notice, I didn't say drink lots of juice, coffee, tea, etc. . During hot and humid times of the day, water is best and if you hate the taste of water, try lemonade, Gatorade and delute them with water or freeze lemonade or juice flavored ice cubes and put in glass of water.
11-Keep a cooler of water with you in case you get stuck somewhere for awhile without water readily available you will have your own.
12-Keep a few gallons of water in your car trunk in case your radiator over heats.
13-Keep an old blanket in the trunk, if you need to change a tire or sit on the ground, you have something between you and the burning hot pavement or sidewalks.
14-Fill a small pool with water or bucket and sit under the shade and soak your feet. **DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU HAVE SMALL CHILDREN...INFANTS, TODDLERS CAN DROWN IN LESS THAN 2" OF WATER, USE CAUTION IF YOU HAVE SMALL CHILDREN AROUND!!!**
15-Place a sprinkler on the lawn and let the kids run and jump through it. Yesterday, our mailman stopped and cooled off in our sprinkler!
16- Stay inside if possible.
17-If you notice you are outside and you quit sweating, begin to get light headed, have stomach cramps, your temperature has gone up, immediately seek medical attention as you may have become dehydrated.
18- Freeze Otterpops and had them out to people you see doing lawn work, directing traffic, etc.

Always remember hot temperatures cause people to be uncomfortable and feel grumpy. Try to hold your temper, smile and repeat this mantra..this to shall soon pass!