No Air Conditioner-How To Stay Cool

In the Midwest, the heat has been unbearable. When the heat was around 103 and the newscaster labeled the humidity as oppressive, I can honestly say, that it was not fit for man or beast. Nevertheless, I was okay. I was weathering the oppressive heat and humidity with my air conditioner blowing at record speed.

Then the unthinkable happened. A rainstorm with high winds came through our city. Yes, the rain was good, but the high winds were so strong, not only did it bring down trees but also snapped utility poles.

I, along with many others, found our electricity instantly gone, which ultimately meant that my precious air conditioning was gone as well.

This was not good. Being an optimist, I thought that it would surely not take long to restore energy to our area. However, when I pulled out my portable radio, I learned that many, many people were in the same boat as I. Okay, enough of the optimist crap; it was time to pull the generator out of the garage.

I got the generator started, so I now had electricity, but no air conditioning. So my first line of defense was corralling my three fans and getting them running in the living room.

It helped some, but with the temperature moving up to 103, and the humidity still oppressive, with no air moving through the house, it definitely was not enough. My last line of attack was to grab a book, my dog, and go to the basement to read until things cooled down, or the electricity came on. I was lucky. I only had to wait 9 hours before my electricity came back on.

I was lucky. I had a basement in which I could retreat to stay cool. As I sat in the basement, I began to wonder, what other methods I could have utilized to stay cool. So, here are some of my thoughts on staying cool without air conditioning:

1. You can keep cool by putting an icepack on the back of your neck.

2. You can wet your hair down and sit in front of a fan. This will help to cool your head.

3. Soak a bandanna or even a washcloth and put it on your head, or wash your face down with it.

4. Use a spray bottle filled with cool water. You can lightly spray your shirt down, spray your legs and let the fan bring your temperature down. (I also sprayed the dog. That was a trick, my dog jumped and dodged the spray bottle, but I did get her wet enough).

5. Take a shower, or two, or three with cool water. (This, I have to admit, I did do when the fans were not enough to keep me cool.)

6. Wear loose woven fabrics like cotton, silk, or linen.

7. Wear light color clothing. Light clothing reflects light and heat.

8. Close blinds and curtains to block the sun's rays.

9. Drink a cold drink, and eat cold food.

10. Stand under the sprinkler or hose to cool down.

11. If you can stand the crowds, go to the pool.

12. If the city offers cooling areas in the city, spend some time there.

Bottom line, staying cool when the heat is oppressive is important to your health. If your body cannot cope with the heat, you can develop heat stroke. Moreover, heat stroke is a life-threatening condition, which can cause brain damage, organ failure or death.