Keeping your cool -- literally

With an increase in the number of reports that predict that Canada’s summers will only get hotter, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have a strategy for keeping cool. When you can help it, reducing your use of air conditioning (whether by raising the temperature of your thermostat, or by limiting air conditioner use to certain times of day) will undoubtedly save substantial amounts of money, but you’ll need to find alternative ways to keep cool. Some of these tried and true methods include:

1)      Hydrate – because drinking water is such a simple solution, and because it is prescribed as a way to alleviate just about any problem under the sun (pun intended), we often take for granted just how effective it can be. However, the reality is that drinking water is one of the best ways to cool off. This is because the water entering your system is much lower in temperature than your own body temperature, and will need to be warmed using your body heat.

2)      Ice – placing a large block of ice in front of a fan may not be the best way to cool a 2400 square foot home, but it is a very effective way to cool off a single room.

3)      Spritz – keeping a spray bottle filled with water beside your sleeping area and misting yourself frequently will help your body to cool off significantly; especially applied to vascular parts of your body like your forearms.

4)      Linen – consider bedding and clothing made of linen during the summer months. Linen actually wicks moisture away, keeping you cool and dry. It also has the added benefit of antimicrobial properties.

5)      Bathe – take colder showers than you are used to. This will actually cool your core.

Also remember that if your central air conditioning system malfunctions, it may be covered for repair by your home insurance policy. It would be a good idea to verify this beforehand, so that if and when you find yourself in such a circumstance, you have a plan of action.