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12 Tips on How to Stay Cool in the Heat During an Arizona Summer

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Anyone who lives in Arizona or has ever visited knows that the heat here is nothing to mess around with. When summer is stretching on, temperatures are topping 100 degrees, and you feel like you might melt if you don’t get cool. Would you like a list informing you of ways on how to stay cool in the heat?

So, how do you stay cool in the Arizona heat?

1) Keep All Windows and Doors Closed

hgtvhome.sndimg.com
hgtvhome.sndimg.com

We don’t need to mention that if you’re trying to beat the heat, its best to stay inside and out of the sun, right? But, if you’re going to be in your house, you need to make sure that it’s equipped to do all it can to keep you cool! Step one of not turning your home into a human-sized oven is to keep all your windows and doors shut if the temperature outside tops seventy-seven degrees. Why seventy-seven degrees, you might ask? The average person starts to sweat at seventy-eight degrees, so you want to keep the hot air out, even if the air conditioner is off!

2) Turn the Lights Off

eatonelectriccompany.com
eatonelectriccompany.com

We all know that there’s plenty of Arizona sun to illuminate any activity you could possibly be working on, so why turn on unnecessary lights? Keeping them off can make a big difference in keeping your home cool. If you’re willing to make the investment, change all of the standard incandescent bulbs in your home over to compact fluorescent ones. Not only do they last longer, but they also put out seventy percent less heat!

3) Block Out the Sun

diynetwork.com
diynetwork.com

Sure, the dazzling Arizona sun can put you in a great mood, but it can also cause the temperature in your home to skyrocket. Whether its morning sun or afternoon sun, keeping it out is your best bet. Making use of shades, drapes, and white or light-colored curtains can make a huge difference in keeping your home cool. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that simply closing curtains or blinds can reduce the amount of heat entering your home by forty-five percent. Using a reflector between your windows and curtains like aluminum foil-covered cardboard will reflect the heat back outside and away from your home. Outdoor awnings are a great option, too. They can reduce the heat entering your home by eighty percent!

4) Dry Your Clothes Outside

Flickr User Niek Bokkers
Flickr User Niek Bokkers

If your laundry absolutely can’t wait, at least skip running your clothes through the dryer. Hanging clothes outside is a great alternative to heating your whole house up as your clothes get tossed around in a hot metal machine. Instead, why not let them flap in the breeze — they’re actually likely to dry quicker, plus it will save you on your electric bill. One final perk? The fresh smell practically guarantees you a great night’s sleep! Another appliance that can do a number on the overall temp of your place? The dishwasher! Wait until the evening when the air is cooler to run the dishwasher, and let them air dry. Or, better yet, simply wash them by hand.

5) Keep Up the Maintenance of Your AC

accessheating.com
accessheating.com

Your air conditioner works extra hard during those scorching summer months, and you’ll need to maintain it if you want it to function optimally. Filters in central or room air conditioners should be cleaned or replaced at least once a month during the summer. If the ducts on your central air conditioning system are leaking, the efficiency might go down by as much as fifteen percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Use weather stripping to ensure that all windows sills and doors are tightly sealed as well. Don’t forget to keep your fireplace damper closed, too, because flow reversal happens, which lets heat creep in. These steps will all make it so that your air conditioning has to work less hard to effectively and efficiently cool your home.

6) Turn On Your Biggest Fans

i.ytimg.com
i.ytimg.com

Fans can come in handy — if you know how to make them work for you. The most important thing that most people don’t know about fans is that they cool people, not rooms. If you’re hot, but it isn’t humid, put a bowl of ice in front of a fan and settle in for a breeze that will cool you down as the ice evaporates. If it is humid, make your air conditioner and fans work as a team. Running your air conditioner on low will lower the humidity, and staying in the breeze of a fan will keep you cool by moving the heat away from your body as the sweat evaporates. If it’s your house that’s too warm, use a fan in the window once the outside temperature drops below seventy-seven. If the fan is blowing into the room, the breeze might feel refreshing, but the real trick is to have the fan blowing out the window. That way, the warm air is pulled out of the house, and the cool air is pulled in. It’s the most effective way to use a fan if you’re trying to cool a space, as opposed to a person.

 Don’t let your body hold you hostage!

7) Drink Lots of Fluids

everybody.org.uk
everybody.org.uk

Hydration is the name of the game when it’s hot. As a general rule, if you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Your body temperature rises as you become dehydrated, so it’s absolutely critical that you replace the fluids that you’re losing through sweat. Not all liquids hydrate you, unfortunately. Alcoholic drinks can actually have the opposite effect. Water is your best bet for re-hydrating. Smoothies are a great option, and fruits and vegetables are helpful because they contain a lot of water. The ultimate hydrating fruit? Watermelon! It has the highest water content of any food, so don’t be afraid to chow down!

8) Eat Light

blog.bobparks.com
blog.bobparks.com

It’s normal for your body to struggle to digest fatty foods, and when it’s hot outside, you can feel especially sluggish if you’re chowing down on big, unhealthy meals. A healthier meal choice, like a salad, won’t leave you feeling as weighed down and tired. No matter the meal, fruits and vegetables are a summer staple. Not only are they nutritious, but they’re watery, which makes a big difference in helping to keep you hydrated. Instead of using the oven, which will also heat up your home, consider using the stovetop, or better yet, the grill! And surprisingly, eating something spicy can actually help cool you down. Capsaicin, which you’ll find in things like chili peppers, makes you sweat. When that sweat evaporates, you’ll briefly feel cooler.

9) Get Wet!

cdn.skim.gs
cdn.skim.gs

Spray bottles are another secret trick for staying cool. When you spritz yourself with water, it evaporates away from your skin and cools you down. Animals have understood this technique even longer than us! Think of elephants using their trunk to wet themselves behind the ears. You can make this idea work for you too! A great place to start is with your wrists because there, you can cool down the blood flowing through your veins. This will quickly lower your overall body temperature.

You can also visit some of Arizona’s cool swimming holes. Or even check out some of Arizona’s awesome waterparks!

10) Don’t Overwork Your Electronics

 CyberKiller40
CyberKiller40

Believe it or not, computers can put off a lot of heat. This isn’t going to help keep you cool, especially if you have a hot laptop, well, on your lap. If you have to work, invest in a bendable fan that you can plug into your USB drive. That way, a refreshing breeze can help keep you cool. When you’re able to, let your computers go into low power sleep mode, or shut them down completely. That way, you don’t have to worry about their heat output affecting your nice, cool home.

11) Wear Loose Clothing

 upbeatsoles.com
upbeatsoles.com

It’s easy to overlook the difference that the correct type of clothing can make in helping to regulate your temperature. It’s actually one of the easiest ways to stay cool in the heat. When it’s 120 degrees out, wearing as few clothes as possible might seem like a good idea for keeping cool, but this isn’t necessarily the case. The most important thing is to wear synthetic fabrics that wick sweat and don’t leave you feeling wet and sticky. You might think that specialized fabrics like Coolmax and Nano-Tex are only for athletes, but that isn’t the case. They can keep you cool too! Cotton is a standard as well, just remember to go with light colors and a loose, flowy fit. Loose, billowy clothes are your best choice because they allow for air movement and for the sweat to evaporate directly off of your skin and into the air. If you can, lose your shoes. In the open air, the sweat from your feet can evaporate, cooling your feet. The blood in your cool feet then continues to circulate through the rest of your body, helping to lower your temperature overall.

12) Practice Mind Over Matter

central-flachau.com
central-flachau.com

Even if you can’t physically get away from the heat, you can mentally get away from it. Dive into any book or movie that mentally transports you to somewhere cold and snowy. It may seem like a stretch, but psychiatrists like Walter A. Brown, believe that it can make a real difference. He compares it to self-hypnosis. If you put effort into envisioning a cold environment, your body starts to forget about its actual environment! When you’re trying to figure out how to stay cool in the heat, anything is worth a try.

Cheyenne Reed was born and raised in Ohio. She recently relocated to rural Wyoming to try out working at an exclusive guest ranch. She graduated from Kent State University with an English degree, and most enjoys writing about travel. If she has free time, you may run into her anywhere, because she is always itching to explore new places. Her personal motto is, "Any day can be an adventure if you make it one!"

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