Use This Unusual Bathroom Trick to Stay Cool During a Heatwave
Use This Unusual Bathroom Trick to Stay Cool During a Heatwave
After Saturday, June 10, the hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office said that the UK heatwave will continue for at least the next few weeks.
This week, Scotland was also officially in a heatwave after having temperatures of 25C or higher for three days or more.
Some of us absolutely love the extra heat, but others will not like the warm weather that is usually saved for sandy beaches or poolside on your holidays. Furthermore, it can in fact be not just uncomfortable but also dangerous for older people, kids, pregnant women, and pets.
Bathroom tricks to keep cool in a Heatwave
So, how can you stay cool down during a heatwave? Taking a cool shower or putting cold water on your pulse points are still effective ways to feel better. But did you know that a hot bath can also help you feel cooler?
I hear you saying, “This sounds strange!” Here are some reasons why you should take a hot bath during the summer.
Many people think about getting expensive fans or freezing hot water bottles, but taking a hot bath is one of the easiest ways to cool down.
Taking a cold shower or bath isn’t always a good idea because when our bodies are bathed in very cold water, they try to adjust their core temperature. This means you might feel hotter after trying to cool down than before.
We can lower our body temperature by taking a hot bath, which boosts our thermoregulatory system. This makes our blood move more quickly through our bodies, which helps eliminate body heat and lower our body temperature.
5 Top Tricks to cool down in a Heatwave
Here are our top 5 tricks to stay cool in hot weather so you can enjoy this rare UK summer for longer.
#1. Always keep yourself hydrated
When it’s hot, we tend to sweat more. If we’re losing more water through sweat, we must drink more to compensate for it. If you don’t drink enough, you could get dehydrated. Dehydration can cause everything from a dry mouth to dizziness, anxiety, feeling sick, and headaches. In the worst cases, you could get heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which could mean you need to go to the hospital right away.
#2. Always put on sunscreen
The Met Office says that the hottest time of the day is between 11 am and 3 pm, but it can still be hot after 3 pm, so use your best sense. If you can’t stay out of the sun during these times, be sure to use sunscreen, wear a hat, and find shade when you can. It’s also very important to always have water with you.
#3. Enjoy a nice hot bath
Yes, by stimulating the body’s thermoregulatory mechanism, a hot bath can actually assist lower body temperature.
#4. Cut back on Caffeine and Alcohol intakes
It’s reasonable if you want to drag your friends and family to the closest beer garden, but cutting back on alcohol and caffeine will keep you far cooler during a heat wave. It is best to drink in moderation because both caffeine and alcohol might increase our susceptibility to dehydration.
#5. Skip Leg Day!
A heatwave is the ultimate reason for skipping leg day if you ever need one. Even while exercising during these warmer weeks is still possible, we advise you to plan it carefully. If you enjoy running during lunch, going outside in the morning could be best when the sun is less powerful and high. Exercise makes you sweat, and if you do it frequently enough without replenishing your body, you run the danger of suffering from heat exhaustion or worse. Drinks that are isotonic are an excellent way to replenish lost salts, liquids, and sugars. Remember that these inconveniences won’t stay forever.
Getting to sleep during a heat wave
Lisa Artis from The Sleep Charity says that for a good night sleep, bedrooms should ideally be between 16 and 18°C (60 and 65°F). However, if the temperature outside stays high at night or if your room has kept the heat from the day, it can be hard to stay cool and too hot to sleep.
If your cooling fan isn’t working as well as it should, there are other things you can do in hot or humid weather that don’t involve a fan at all. For example, you could switch to bedsheets made of 100% cotton, or closing blinds or drawing the curtains earlier in the day to stop as much heat building in the room. As previously noted avoid having too much caffeine or booze, or a big meal before bed. You can also try putting ice cold water in your hot water bottle.
These are just a few easy tips to help you cool down during a heatwave. Watch out for loved ones and share these tips for keeping cool. Hopefully you are able to chill and take advantage of heatwaves when you can!