It’s been a scorching summer so far this year, and if the weather reports are anything to go by then these high temperatures aren’t going away for a while yet! Wildfires are causing mayhem around the country, train tracks are buckling and public transport is more unbearable than ever.
Therefore we decided it was high time to compile a handy list of summer hacks to keep you cool in the hot weather.
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Scroll down to read about ten handy tricks that will make you feel a lot more relaxed in this year’s heatwave.
Enjoy!
10. Make yourself some aloe ice cubes
At the risk of sounding a bit like your mum, getting horrendously sunburnt in this type of heat can actually be avoided very easily!
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It’s harmful to your skin and nobody thinks the red lobster look is attractive, so make sure to break up your time in the sun with lots of shade and plenty of sun cream.
However, if you really can’t help getting sunburnt, then we’ve got the perfect hack to cool you down. Find a bottle of aloe vera gel and fill up an ice cube try with the stuff.
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Once the cubes have frozen, remove them as needed to cool yourself down and heal your skin at the same time.
9. Wear wet socks to bed
We know this one sounds a little bit extreme, but it really works! Especially on those hot, sticky nights where you can’t seem to get any sleep whatsoever. Make sure you place a towel at the bottom of your bed before putting on a pair of socks that have been soaked in cold water.
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For an added bonus, point a fan at your feet and prepare for a lovely chill to work its way up the rest of your body. Perfect for hot summer nights!
8. Buy a fan that attaches to your phone
For some reason, people who use portable fans in public have gotten a bit of stick in the past.
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However, we’re not quite sure why, especially when it keeps reaching the 30 C mark and you’re travelling on a suffocatingly-hot bus or train with no air conditioning.
You can actually buy yourself a portable mini fan that’s powered by your phone, so you won’t need to worry about batteries next time a heatwave hits.
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There are plenty of options on Amazon, including this OBiDi USB fan for only £4.
7. Make yourself a wine-pop
In between all those huge bottles of water you’re drinking, there’s nothing like a cold beer or a glass of white wine to cool you down on a hot day. So why not try a wine-pop just for a change?
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It’s like a lolly pop but deliciously alcoholic! You can buy cheap lolly-making kits from most supermarkets, so why not try pouring in some red or white wine next time you feel like a treat? You can even fill them up with port like in the picture above – genius!
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6. Get some fruit cubes going for your next gin and tonic
Sticking with the alcohol theme, it’s also a great idea to use up any leftover fruits or vegetables (such as raspberries, lemons or cucumbers) and chop them up for the next time you make some ice cubes.
Simply place a few pieces in with each cube of water and then voila – you have a gorgeous-looking edible accompaniment to your next gin and tonic.
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Any Instagram fans out there will be loving this stylish summer hack!
5. Make sure you’re getting enough water with some handy water bottle labels
Staying hydrated can sometimes be a challenge, and it’s often hard to know if you’re drinking enough water in hot weather to stave off the unwelcome side effects of dehydration. So why not try marking your hot water bottle with these handy labels?
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We’re meant to drink six to eight glasses on a normal day, so during a heatwave you’ll be wanting to up that number to around ten glasses! Make sure you’re balancing out any exercise/alcoholic drinks with water too.
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4. Get strategic with your fan placement
Some people worry about using electric fans because they think it will make their electricity bills more expensive. But the average fan actually uses less than 100 watts of power an hour, making them much cheaper than running the a/c.
Fans also make it feel 3 to 8 degrees cooler than it actually is, so make sure you’re putting them where you can feel them, as well as in places where they’ll move hot air away.
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You can even leave them on with the window open because they’ll circulate cooler air towards you more quickly.
3. Make a floating drinks holder for the swimming pool
If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool, then you’ll know just how great it feels to be able to jump in after a hot day spent on public transport or in the office.
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However, did you know that you can make life even more fun for yourself with a floating drinks holder? Get some extra pool noodles and attach them to the outside of a light-weight cooler or container. Then let it float around! You’ll be swimming and enjoying an ice cold beverage in no time at all.
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2. Keep ice cream in a zip-lock bag
This is a really handy trick for when you need some cooling ice cream but don’t want to have to wait around for ten minutes while it softens. Instead, you can wrap the entire carton in a gallon zip lock bag.
This magically keeps the ice cream soft without any waiting time whatsoever – genius!
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As a little bonus, it prevents you from freeze burning your hands as you get it out of the drawer.
1. Instantly cool a warm drink
And finally – this is the best summer hack we’ve come across yet.
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We all know how annoying it is when you’re drinking a cold soft drink or beer and it soon turns warm in your hands. Never fear, because we have a way to instantly cool down your beverage!
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Simply submerge the drink in a bowl of ice water, add some salt to the bowl and then drop in your can/bottle – its temperature will drop several degrees in just a couple of minutes.
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Have you got any more cool summer hacks to try out? Let us know in the comments section below!