BE LESS HOT. When the heat wave sets in, it can be tempting to try everything to bring down the temperature in your home. However, some tips are counterproductive. Here is a small list and some tips.
The heat wave has set in and the heat has invaded your interior? In times of high heat, everything is good to try to cool down and bring down the temperature in your home. While certain practices are advisable (adapting your diet, airing out the night, etc.), other tips are actually counterproductive and will only reinforce the impression of heat and discomfort that can be felt when the heat wave is entering your home. Here is a short list of things to avoid when the mercury rises, whether for your health, your home or your loved ones.
What are the gestures to avoid to be less hot during a heat wave?
During a heat wave, you may be tempted to do everything to cool off. Here are 5 common mistakes to absolutely avoid:
- Take a cold shower: the shower is always welcome in hot weather and it can be very tempting to try the “Scottish shower”, especially in the evening before bedtime. But that’s a very bad idea! In the moment, it can be good but will cause the human body to react very quickly, which will struggle to maintain your ideal body temperature: at 37 degrees. As a result, it will secrete heat to compensate! Within minutes of your shower, your body temperature will skyrocket. So don’t turn down the thermostat or your shower tap too much: a lukewarm temperature is recommended.
- Force on the air conditioner : if you have an air conditioning system, moderate its use for the planet, your budget and your health. Too big a difference with the outside temperature could cause thermal shock, throat problems or respiratory pain. A word of advice: check the outside temperature and adjust your air conditioning to limit the temperature difference between 5 and 7 degrees. It should never exceed 8 degrees.
- Drinking water that is too cold: During a heat wave, you need to stay hydrated. Avoid drinks that are too sweet or alcoholic, which increase dehydration. However, there is no need to drink ice water. If your drink is too cold, the human body will trigger a reaction to warm itself up. You will feel a hot flash but above all the body will draw on its water reserves to regulate your temperature (especially through perspiration). All the desired effect flies away. It is better to drink cold water, even at room temperature to stay hydrated.
- Drink too much: if you have to hydrate well, there’s no need to shovel down the water bottles either. You risk having water retention, which is called edema in the medical community.
- Eating too fat, too sweet: If this advice is valid all year round, it is all the more advisable during heat waves. The digestion of these fatty foods will require a large energy consumption from your body and will thus increase the body temperature. Foods that are too salty accelerate the phenomenon of water retention. In periods of high heat, we adapt our diet with fresh foods, rich in water and we limit the fat!
How to keep it cooler at home?
- Do not open the windows wide at any time of the day: it can be tempting to open the windows during the day to try to let in some air. Alas, this will only increase the temperature in your home. From the end of the morning, the mercury rises quickly in periods of high heat. It is more than advisable to caulk yourself, if possible by closing the shutters and blinds. On the other hand, as soon as the temperature drops in the evening, open wide!
- Less run cooking appliances: no question of curbing all your desires but if you can avoid operating the oven two hours is better! The heat produced by the oven or your hotplates only takes a few minutes to invade your kitchen and the surrounding rooms, especially if you have an open kitchen. The gratin, the homemade quiche or the fries will wait a few days…
- Limit the use of lights. The light bulbs produce heat, try to limit the lighting and favor dim light.
- Same thing for household appliances: TV, internet box, computers or tablets are all sources of heat. Try to moderate their use, especially during the hottest hours of the day.
- Avoid clothing in dark colors and synthetic material: to avoid unpleasant traces of perspiration, especially in the workplace, we tend to favor dark colors. Alas, this may make you even hotter, especially in the sun. Prefer breathable fabrics such as cotton or linen to synthetic materials that tend to sweat and prefer loose and comfortable cuts. The Canadian shirt or the black top stay in the closet!
You have spent the day but the hardest part is sometimes to come in a heat wave: at night. When going to bed, the heat can be a major obstacle when closing your eyes and falling asleep. If the heat wave continues, fatigue can quickly build up. Freezing hot water bottle, damp curtains and sheets… Here are some tips to follow and find in our dedicated file.
What are the gestures to avoid when it is hot to protect fragile people?
- Not adapting children’s outfits: during heat waves, babies are particularly exposed and suffer from the heat. Modify the outfits of young children by focusing on light and loose clothing. At home, opt for a light bodysuit so that baby is comfortable!
- Outside, forget the essential accessories: Above all, don’t forget a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen and never cover the stroller with a cloth in order to protect it from the sun. The effect will be reversed with a rapid increase in temperature under the laundry.
- Leave baby in an unventilated room: try at all costs to ventilate the baby’s room during the cool hours of the day. If you can, place a fan (while maintaining a good distance from your little one’s bed). Toddlers do not regulate their body temperature well.
- Leaving a child alone in a car: Never leave a baby or child alone in a car during very hot weather, even for a few minutes. If you have to travel, consider blackout blinds on the car, take regular breaks in shaded or protected places and provide plenty of water.
- Do not check in on the elderly people around you: in this period, isolation can be even harder to bear, especially when the messages of vigilance are hammered home in all the media. Visit if you can the fragile people around you, bring them fresh products. A phone call is also always welcome!