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Keeping Cool Tips! Let’s swap?

(55 Posts)
Cossy Wed 24-Jun-26 18:17:45

Sooooo what are you lovely lot doing this particularly hot week to cool down?

I’ve just discovered if you use a cool pack (the ones you freeze for cool bags), wrapped in a paper kitchen towel, then put behind neck of back of head whilst seated is brilliant! Who’d have known.

I’ve also used it on my wrists and top of legs, in rotation.

Other than that I’ve done the usual, upped my water intake, fans on, curtains shut, not doing much!

Any others have good tips please??

smile

HelterSkelter1 Wed 24-Jun-26 20:11:48

I alao have the special cooling towels wet round my neck .

I wear an old cotton MS summer dress. Sleeveless and I go commando. And spray the dress with a plant mister.

I am drinking a cold Guinness.

A tepid bath before bed.

During the day I have pint mugs of cold milky tea or cold milkycoffee.

Egg mayo sandwiches or tuna mayo sandwiches with lots of cucumber, lettuce and cress. And crisps for the salt.

It has worked today.

Overthemoongran Wed 24-Jun-26 20:27:59

I had to go out in the heat this morning so I put a couple of ice packs into a small insulated lunch bag. Into the bag, between the ice packs, I also put two face flannels, soaked with cold water and wrung out, in a plastic bag. Every ten minutes or so I took a flannel out and wiped my face, neck and arms , it worked very well and stayed cold all morning.

Cossy Wed 24-Jun-26 20:30:47

midgey

A little nap works wonders!

It does!

LtEve Wed 24-Jun-26 20:43:26

Hot water bottles half filled with water and frozen. Cool feet make a huge difference at night.

Wyllow3 Wed 24-Jun-26 20:52:22

If you are able to go out and about....

big supermarkets are actually nice and cool

I went to my gym just as I had a haircut booked in the little salon they have. 11am after an early tepid shower so hot. I did think for a moment I would do anything but....

I walked in a blast of aircon hit me ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh

so I stayed there several hours - swim pool for some to cool, the cafe, lie down on the mats for a rest...yes and cool enough for exercise...

AmberGran Wed 24-Jun-26 21:07:42

I read somewhere today that freezing hot water bottles can cause the rubber to perish, so bottles that have been frozen shouldn't then be used for hot water. I assume the degradation is slow, but could cause a nasty accident sometime over the Winter when the bottle is full of hot water. Someone said they have a 'cold' bottle and a 'hot' bottle.

Elegran Wed 24-Jun-26 21:09:24

Rather obvious, but keep the windows shut and curtains closed on the sunny side of the house, and open those on the shady side. A wet sheet hung over the window opening cools incoming air. As the sun moves to cook other areas, adjust what is open, wht is closed. Hot air rises, so have a window open on an upper floor for the heat to go out of. Close bedroom windows during the (hot) day, and open them at (not quite as hot) night.

Grannybags Wed 24-Jun-26 21:12:12

I’ve just bought a ‘neck fan’ from John Lewis.
It’s very light, hangs round your neck and blows cool air round neck and face. Hands free!
£15 with USB charger

JackyB Wed 24-Jun-26 21:16:24

I fill a (metal) plant spray bottle with just plain water and set it to a fine mist, squirt on face neck and arms frequently and dab with a small towel. Cold showers and cold drinks don't help me - I find they cause me to heat up more. Here in Germany we of course have shutters which darken every room so we have them down during the day and open everything up early in the morning for a bit. The house is a bearable 23° most of the time.

Funnily enough, I find I'm sleeping through because I don't have to wee so much.

If possible, I force myself to start any housework early - 6 or 7 - because there is no hope of getting anything done after 10:30.

grandMattie Wed 24-Jun-26 21:21:35

LtEve

Hot water bottles half filled with water and frozen. Cool feet make a huge difference at night.

I was just going to say that! It has been a lifesaver.

Also hang a wrung-out sheet from the curtain rail for the night. The evaporation will cool the bedroom.

Gran22boys Wed 24-Jun-26 21:27:59

Been paddling in the sea for the last hour. Fabulous.

MT62 Wed 24-Jun-26 21:34:48

My neighbour put her hot water bottle in the freezer 🥶 she said it was brilliant to keep cool.

MT62 Wed 24-Jun-26 21:37:26

If it’s still 29 degrees upstairs I am going to take my pillow, duvet & sleep in the pergola tonight.

Georgesgran Wed 24-Jun-26 21:48:02

Nothing really - just the bedroom windows cracked an inch or two open. I admit I’m starting off sleeping on top of my duvet though, which is only a 2.5 coverless one, so I can hop under it after a toilet break if I’m a bit chilly. I think I’m more ‘laid back’ in this weather, although my hair and nails seem to be growing faster.

merlotgran Wed 24-Jun-26 22:07:32

Also hang a wrung-out sheet from the curtain rail for the night. The evaporation will cool the bedroom.

This puzzles me.
Do you rinse and spin the sheet in the washing machine?
I’d need to climb on something to reach the curtain rail. (DD would have a fit!)
What about the existing curtains and/or blind. Don’t they get wet?

Am I over complicating this? 😂

AskAlice Wed 24-Jun-26 23:37:16

Sat outside in the shade this afternoon (I just craved to be out of the hot stuffy house) with my feet in a washing up bowl of cold water - lovely and cooling. A friend of mine used to keep face wipes in the freezer and use those to cool down! I've not tried that one.

Also, for an instant cool-down indoors I put my wrists under cold running water for a few minutes.

karmalady Thu 25-Jun-26 07:11:20

Use the exhaust fans eg kitchen bathroom. The warm inside air needs to move out and probably best when outside is cooler than inside. Open some windows while using them

Wear cotton or linen, my most comfortable dress yesterday was Lynn Caftan by Atelier Jupe. I have made other caftans, Charlie by Closet core is on today but Lynn is best. I intend to make 2 more pdq as soon as the heatwave dissipates. Whatever fabric I have in stash, cotton poplin, light linen or viscose or their blends

Freeze milk bottles of water to put in front of a fan, will not add to humidity

I closed all window vents this morning, It is already 29 indoors and am expecting 35+. that hot air creeping in through vents will give me unwanted heat

karmalady Thu 25-Jun-26 07:17:00

I have a Davis vantage vue weather station, invaluable to me esp when I want to compare temperature out and in. A good present for anyone interested in weather

karmalady Thu 25-Jun-26 07:18:18

Oh and I am not trussed up in a bra today, won`t be answering the door anyway

RosesandLilac Thu 25-Jun-26 07:20:34

Have a fan at floor level with another at right angles the other side of the room and higher up.

Oldnproud Thu 25-Jun-26 08:30:32

Cooking meals outside in my airfryer, to avoid even more heat in the house.

HelterSkelter1 Thu 25-Jun-26 09:12:36

Just cold food. Salad and more salada athoughI will cook some. New potatoes in a minute.
I had a start of a headache yesterday morning and sipped at a glass of rehydration crystals well diluted. Seemed to help.

karmalady Thu 25-Jun-26 09:16:00

my leather zero gravity recliner is very hot and sticky on my back. I like the zero gravity as it evens forces on my back

I no longer have the airy lafuma recliner, gave it away to DD, that would have been perfect so I have just spread a linen duvet cover over the leather and it does feel much better

karmalady Thu 25-Jun-26 09:19:32

only one hot drink today, a big mug of tea at 5am. Cold drinks and food now, all day.

I cooked lots of new potatoes, gorgeous cold

I cba doing anything today, listening to my body as always

Sago Thu 25-Jun-26 09:20:24

I have a meeting today that requires me not to wear shorts, Birkenstocks, no make up and sport frizzy hair.

I was up at 6 showered and hair dried, I lathered my dry hair in leave in conditioner and tied it back, I dug out a “ holiday dress with long sleeves it’s an Australian make in crinkly cotton super smart and cool!

Finally light make up with a setting spray and my beautiful loafers bought years ago and still looking like new so worth every penny.

I’m nearly ready to go and actually feel put together and cool……….for now😉