Casual Conversation

I read your post earlier today and I am right at the ocean but can't go into the ocean water to cool off because it's currently a biohazard right now smelling like sewage apparently so I walked to the beach shower and cooled off at the beach shower.

Air conditioning

Ice packs, fans, portable ac units, misting yourself. It's not so bad after you're 35+

I made a post about my most effective tip. Works pretty well.

I live in the US, and the forecasted high for today is 39°C 🫠

Solo wet T-shirt contest.

Evaporative towels - made of a thin pva foam that holds water, and as it dries from your body heat it drags away a considerable amount of warmth

Soak a wet rag and drape it over your neck. The evaporating water will help keep your neck and shoulders cool, and you can wipe down anywhere that needs a little extra evaporation.

Loose, light clothing. You want air close to your body to be able to move, but also serve as insulation to an extent.

Down here in the US south, the old school default was cotton seersucker. It really is better than other types of fabric, but it's harder to find nowadays. But any clothing that's got a bit of room to breathe is going to be better than something close fitting.

Any of the methods of cooling an area are going to be improved if you dress for heat in the first place

My studio has been stuck at 32°C for the last two weeks. Today it's finally as hot inside than out. I haven't closed my windows in a month.

I am constantly searching for a mobile AC unit that is neither sold by scalpers (found a weaksauce one at the price of a fixed unit) nor delivered in 3 to 6 months.

(I am currently praying my ten years old desktop fan won't crap out: the plastic is now very brittle and it's pretty out of balance.)

So I mostly get by by being so lacking in restful sleep, I'm too out of it to notice the heat. Oh, and cold showers.

Don’t be overweight, don’t drink alcohol, stay indoors, have a portable fan with you always, drink lots of water

If you live straight under the roof and it's hotter inside than out: close the blinds, open the windows.

Otherwise, keep everything shut, close the curtains, get some stick on sun shades for your windows. Open everything at night, then keep an eye on the heat in the morning and shut everything when it gets hotter outside than inside.

Have lukewarm (NOT COLD) showers. If you have a bath, fill it so you can cool down every now and then. Also fill a washing up bowl to put your feet in.

Get a fan. If it's not too humid, hang a wet towel in front of it or pile some of those bricks you use to cool a cooler in front of it.

Wear linen, viscose or modal. Don't wear trainers.

It's been so hot where I live this week that 30c sounds nice. It was 36c during the day yesterday but felt like well over 40c. It felt like an oven. It's 27c right now at 1:30 am. So here's some tips- Drink a lot of water. Stick to the shade. Keep a wet towel around your neck. I wet a baseball cap and wear it. Don't be in direct sunlight light for long. If you don't have a/c, I know most don't in UK, open two windows on the opposite side of the house to create a drafted. Hang and secure a wet towel over the window where the wind enters and it will act like a natural a/c. Won't do a ton but it will lower the temps inside a few degrees. That's all I got.

Not much real relief without A/C. Go somewhere with A/C until the sun goes down.

• for office-jobs, a USB-ventilator blowing over the keyboard and hands
• spray bottle to wet feet & back, it's auto-regulating too!

The trick with the latter is, the body doesn't even get in the uncomfortable zone (i'm not even flaccid). But careful or you'll get a cold. Others also mentioned a foot bath for the same effect.

Evaporative cooling.
Cool, damp cloths, especially to place around your neck or on your face and wrists. Cool showers. Avoid any use of the oven and minimize use of the stovetop or any other device which produces a significant amount of heat. Keep blinds/curtains drawn while the sun is out. Open these and the windows at night. If there is any breeze and your home's layout is amenable, open windows to promote cross-flow. And, if safe, doors. Lightweight, breathable clothing. Avoid going out during the hottest part of the day unless it's to somewhere air conditioned. If you drive, try to park in the shade and cover your windows when parked to reflect sunlight. If public transit, heavier on the avoiding going out during the hottest part of the day. Hydrate. This means electrolytes, not just water. Cotton sheets can feel cooler than not using any bedding at all.

A simple cold foot bath does wonders for me.

Put up exterior shades on the south side of your home or at least outside your windows. It keeps the direct heat from the sun from baking your walls and windows, and you on the other side. Yeah boy, window awnings and sun shades are in.

Get a spray bottle with a big enough neck to fit ice cubes in, then fill it with ice & cold water. It feels amazing spraying yourself with ice water every 10 mins!

If you live in low humidity area then a evaporative air cooler might help. Cheaper than an AC unit for sure.

Spray some water on the curtains, or a hanging towel. Enough to make it damp, not soaking wet. As it evaporates, it'll cool the room a bit. Indoors plants also help. Water them at night; through the day they'll do the same as above.

Quick showers. Just to wet the skin. Or a damp towel you can use to pat your arms and legs with.

If using fans, pay attention to where you place them, otherwise you're simply moving hot air around. Or worse, moving it in. Ideally you should put the back of the fan near a window that faces the colder side of your house (north in your case), and have another window open to the hotter side of the house (your south). But pay attention so the Sun doesn't hit inside the house directly, depending on your setup it's useful to leave the window open and the curtains closed.

If you live in a two-storey house, it's a good idea to put the fan near a window in the bottom floor, gently facing up; the bottom floor tends to be a bit colder. Just make sure there are also open windows in the top floor.

If you really need you can put a bucket of ice in the front of the fan, too.

At night keep the windows open, like drusas said. The house itself stores some heat, and the best opportunity to dissipate it is at night.

White (or at least light colours) everything. Curtains, house, your clothes, your cat. Just kidding your cat will still feel like a fluffy inferno.

Adding to other suggestions: wear loose fitting clothes, ideally of natural fibers (cotton and linen are best). Wet your hair and neck when outdoors.

If your house is humid, decreasing humidity can decrease the feel of heat as well

Enjoy it, soon enough it'll be cold & grey again... in fact it's quite overcast in the east this morning, I'm thinking about putting a jumper on

Lived in a hot and humid place my whole life. Wear as little clothing as you are comfortable with and build a swamp cooler if possible. Also try filling the bathtub with cool water (use ice if you have to) and chill in it

Some options in approximate order of increasing effort:

• Drink iced beverages.

• Have fan blowing at you.

• Cooling vest, possibly with with ice packs.

• If low humidity (probably not in the UK), evaporative cooler.

• Air conditioner.

Fans are cheap and effective. The ones that stand on a pole. One in every bed room - point it at you while you sleep. You'll get used to the noise pretty quickly. Koreans think that pointing a fan at you while you sleep will kill you but ignore them.

Carry an umbrella for mobile shade. Do not leave the house without it.

Hammocks. Preferably a mesh one for ventilation.

Do not go outside in the middle of the day. Have a long nap instead, then stay up late and party. The Spanish know how it's done.

Move slowly, be slow