Now that you've gone and turned your thermostat up to 78 degrees to save on electricity, it's so uncomfortable. You can't clean, you can't cook, you can't sleep because it's just too hot and sweaty. So how did people survive before air conditioning? We're they crazy to be moving to places like the Mojave desert and blistering New York City? No, they just beat the heat. Find out how in this episode!

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Appliance Management

My dad is the energy Nazi of our household. In the summer, our family tries to keep all heat-producing activities to a minimum to avoid burdening the air conditioner. Every appliance that he can detect with his infrared sniffer, he bans outright. No dryer. No oven. No stove. No toaster. Only the electric tea kettle was spared, and that was only because we can't live without coffee. He only approved the electric tea kettle over the stove top kettle because the electric has superior insulation, and takes much less time (and thus power) to heat up.

Summer Food

If you've turned your thermostat set-point up this summer like the power-companies recommend, you won't even feel like eating hot food because your house will be warmer. Cold salads and fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season and ripening like crazy in the summer warmth, and they require little to no cooking. Slaving over a hot stove in a 78 degree house is no way to enjoy the summer. If cooking is essential try cooking on the grill outdoors. Nothing screams summer like a meal barbecued outside.

In addition, keep plenty of water and whatever cold beverages you enjoy handy in the fridge for thirst emergencies. Not only do you need to be drinking more fluids when it hotter, but it'll make you feel cooler just to hold on to that nice cold glass.

Keeping your fridge fully stocked is also a good idea because food and drink stay cold better than the air in your fridge does. Every time you open the fridge, the cold air rushes out. While it may feel good on your face, the fridge then has to cool the warm air that rushed into the fridge every time you opened it. However, your food does not rush out of the fridge when you open the door (unless it's been in there so long that it's become sentient). You only have to cool your ketchup down once, and it stays cold.

So don't just plan your meals to be cool and refreshing -- plan your trips to the refrigerator, too! Making your fridge work harder actually makes your house hotter, because the fridge releases the heat it stole from your food into the air behind the unit. Those coils discard heat best when their clean, too, so make sure to dust them periodically, and allow them plenty of breathing space between the back of the fridge and the wall.

Using Fans

Fans are also a great way to beat the heat, not only because the blow air past your face, evaporating the sweat and cooling you off, but they also move hot air that accumulates in your living spaces. Hot air rises because it is less dense than cooler air, and can make your house even warmer than the air outside if it accumulates.

If you have high ceilings, or you're running your fans in rooms you are not using, your ceiling fans should be moving air up -- look for the little switch on the fan to change the direction. If you stand under the fan, you won't feel a breeze, and looking up it will be running clockwise. This will help push out that hot air and get it circulating, either back into the ventilation system, or back outside if you're brave enough to switch off the AC and open some windows.

If you're in the room, you can flip the switch to blow air directly on you, which will help cool you off, especially if you are sweating. Even warmer air can feel great against a sweaty face. You can also place fans in the open windows to move cool air in at night and hot air out during the day. If you do end up breaking the rules and turning on the stove, make sure the hood fan is running to take the hot cooking air out of the house.

Whole house fans are another option, if your ceiling and standing fans aren't cutting it. These fans are installed in the ceiling, common area, or attic of your home and help move the air in your entire house. They're a great option if you don't have either AC or heating, or if your ventilation system for those systems don't get the air moving enough to push out the hot air and bring in fresh air. You might even end up with the added benefit of feeling better in your home because indoor air pollutants that accumulate will be vented. Talk to your local hardware or home improvement store to find options for a whole house fan.

Evaporative Cooling

The last trick to fool your body into feeling cooler is to keep your extremities cool. It sounds funny, but before air conditioning, people used to tie wet towels around their feet, or even immerse their feet in water to keep their body cool. Since blood vessels run closer to the surface on your feet and hands, they help your body's perception of heat and cold a lot more than other parts of the body. Wet feet equals cool body.

If you have trouble sleeping in the heat, try putting on some damp socks before going to bed, and spray your sheets with a light mist of water to cool them off before climbing in. Take a shower or bath before bed -- ideally the water should be a few degrees below body temperature, about 92 degrees. Don't make the water too cold, otherwise your body will start to compensate by heating itself up again.

Perspiration is your body's way of doing this naturally, so don't sweat the sweat. Water molecules need energy to launch themselves from the surface of your skin into the air -- your body heat provides that energy. So each time a bead of sweat evaporates from your skin, it takes some heat with it, leaving you cooler! If you really hate this feeling, though, mop your brow with a cool wet towel instead of a dry one to leave a little clean water behind to evaporate off your skin.

Another neat evaporative cooling trick is to blow a fan across a pan of ice. The ice will cool the air directly above it until it comes to room temperature and melts, so blowing that air towards you with a fan prevents the hair-dryer feeling of just blowing hot air around.

Administrative

You can find a transcript of this show at quickanddirtytips.com. While you're there, don't forget to check out the Nutrition Diva, our newest podcast. You'll find Quick and Dirty Tips to Eating Healthy and Feeling Fabulous, even on those sunny summer days. Also, don't forget to beat traveling in the heat by checking out Go To Meeting free for 30 days at www.gotomeeting.com. Send me your questions and comments to greengirl@quickanddirtytips.com, or send me a voicemail at 206-600-3051, and you might hear your question answered in a future show!

Links and Resources

EPA's Indoor Air Quality Website: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/insidest.html