Loose Leaf Queer
This heat wave is absolutely bone crushing, and I'm so glad that I installed central air two years ago.
But if you are without central air, or you're dealing with a heat wave for the first time because it's reaching areas that don't historically get this hot, here are a few tips from my years of poverty in a desert:
Loose Leaf Queer
4. You know those flexible ice packs for sports injuries and for coolers?
You can just carry those around. Take them to bed. Put them on the couch and put your feet on them to cool off. They freeze faster and stay cold longer than regular ice.
Loose Leaf Queer
3. This might seem obvious, but over-hydrate, especially if you're in a humid climate. Here in the desert, we have an easier time noticing when we're too dry.
Drink water, tea, etc (not soda). You don't need sports drinks unless you've got POTS or you're exerting yourself.
Loose Leaf Queer
2. Keep air moving, even if you can't open any windows. Ceiling fans are better than nothing, but hot air rises, so I find that big box fans work better.
If you are using ceiling fans, make sure they're rotating counter-clockwise (they should have a switch)
Loose Leaf Queer
1. Pay attention to what direction your residence faces, and where the windows are. Cover/close all east and north facing windows in the first half of the day, and south and west starting no later than 10am.
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5. Most places are cooler at night, though it's much more dramatic in the desert. If you don't have central air, open the windows when the sun goes down, get fans in the windows, and get a cross-breeze going. Close the windows early in the morning to keep the inside cool as long as you can.
Loose Leaf Queer
6. When it's really hot, I will soak a tshirt with cold water and sit in front of a fan (usually to wind down before bed).
This horrifies all of my partners, historically, so YMMV. Not for the faint of torso.
Loose Leaf Queer
7. White folks especially, because y'all never learned this shit:
If you have to go outside in intense sun or heat, loose lightweight long sleeves, hat, and pants/skirts/whatever, are actually much cooler and safer than exposed skin.
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8. Studies (and certain cultures) show that drinking hot beverages in the drier heat actually helps you cool down. Right back to the tea, here.
Here's one link, there are several:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22574769/
(Also my own anecdotal experience)
Loose Leaf Queer
9. Popsicles. Seriously. Even otter pops.
Chill your watermelon. Freeze your grapes.
Cold dill pickles.
Get those snacks in ways that will cool you off and get something in you.
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10. If you're struggling to keep a lot of heat from coming through your windows, you can:
- Tack up thick blankets to cover the whole window pane, to block out sun and hot air
- Cover cardboard with aluminum foil and tape that in the windows foil side out to reflect sun out
Loose Leaf Queer
11. If your fans aren't very good at cooling, you may need to clean them. But you can also make a fan shroud to focus their air power. This is easiest with a box fan and some cardboard.
The CR box crew has directions!
A CR box can filter smoke, too.
Loose Leaf Queer
12. A lot of people recommend blowing fans over bowls of ice. I've had literally 0 luck with this recommendation, ever. But if you have a basement, you can chain fans to blow the naturally cooler air up. Just don't use ceiling fans at the same time for this.
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14. There are *unhinged* conspiracies on the internet about your sheets molding. Please wash your sheets regularly.
But the coolest sleeping material is always going to be a lightweight cotton, or linen if you can afford it. "Bamboo" cloth is just rayon. It works until washing wears it out.
Loose Leaf Queer
13. A rolled-up wet dish towel, especially like a bar rag or other similar material, across the back of your neck and shoulders, will keep you cooler (unless you live in a swampy area).
You can also get chilly pads (frogg toggs) which are spongy material made just for this, and they work great.
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15. This might also sound silly, but your oven and clothes dryer heat your house up. So does the shower.
Run all those things early in the morning or after 6pm in a heat wave.
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16. Obviously you can't do this to solve *right now*
But if you're living in a house (or an apartment with a balcony and only those windows), green living things help lower your localized heat vs concrete and bare materials.
Grow tall stuff by your windows, in between your home and the sun.
Loose Leaf Queer
17. If your area doesn't have public pools, pour all your heat-addled frustration into yelling at your city council for being racist.
I'm serious.
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19. This might also seem weird, but use the restroom whenever you can. Your body uses a lot of extra energy storing waste and keeping it warm/cool, so this applies in all kinds of extreme temperatures.
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18. Sunscreen that actually works and is sweat/water resistant also makes it much harder for your body to cool via sweating. So it's VITAL you limit your time outside during the hottest (and most UV- intense) hours of the day. Not just 10-2 but generally 10-4.
Clouds don't protect you from UV!
Loose Leaf Queer
20. Know the signs of different kinds of heat illness conditions, and how to recognize them in yourself.
Heat exhaustion and sun sickness can do permanent damage, and if you've ever had them you'll be more susceptible in the future.
https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/heat-exhaustion
Note that not sweating is A 🚩
Loose Leaf Queer
21. Cool (not cold) showers.
Run cold water in a sink over your hands and/or feet.
Take off the socks in the house (sorry, sock autists).
Throwback to running through the sprinkler/hose.
Don't do ice baths, they could impair your ability to monitor your own body responses.
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22. Spicy food helps you sweat and will help keep you cool.
bjb :devuannew: :emacs:
I remember being a grade 1 or 2 kid, we lived on top floor (3rd floor) apartment. In a heat wave, parents said we could sleep on the floor instead of in bed.
It was a little uncomfortable due to hardness, but provided a little relief from heat.
Marcos Dione
@Genderqueerwolf my 2c: sit or lay on the floor, specially if it's stone like (incl. ceramic). If it feels hot, move again.
Loose Leaf Queer
23. If you can afford it, Chill (or freeze l some bottled water and keep it on hand for any neighbors, housed or unhoused, you come across who may be in extra danger in the heat.
Loose Leaf Queer
24. Finally (until I think of more) make sure you're listening to your body. Self regulating body temperature is exhausting, even if you don't have any health complications. Take things slow during extreme temperatures.
Be gentle with this one life of yours.
RamenCatholic 🐢 🌈
@Genderqueerwolf we called # 6 'swamp coolers' when I was a kid, except we used wet towels.
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