Beat the Heat Wave

With summer heat throwing life out of gear and killing hundreds across the country, it is time for you to revamp your preventive measures. Here are few ways in which you can beat the heat.

How to keep yourself safe?

It is advisable to cover up yourself from head to toe before stepping out in the sun.

Carry water that is boiled with fenugreek, cumin or with pathimugham. Pathimugham or Japan wood is an ayurvedic solution for keeping cool during summer.

Indoor swimming can be the perfect exercise for summers.

Using a scrub made of khus-khus or ramacham or grass can not only help in removing sun tan but also reduce burning sensation caused by heat. It is also used to make bed and fan that can give a cooling effect.

Include fruits and vegetables with high water content in your diet.

To get relief from mild sunburn, apply sandalwood and turmeric. Alternately, you can also apply coconut oil.

Taking a mint bath in morning can cool your body. Boil mint in water for half an hour, strain the liquid and apply it on your body. Alternatively you can use neem or rose.

How to keep you house cool?

If proper measures are not taken, heat wave can not only affect you but also your home.

The first step to beat heat waves involve keeping doors and windows closed, especially the ones facing south and west directions. Use blinds or mini blinds during daytime.

Ensure that your air conditioner’s filter is clean. Shading the outdoor unit will make it work better.

Use lightly coloured curtains in summer. Opt for black out curtains that are thick enough to prevent heat from entering indoors. If all this does not work, hang long wet cloth above your curtain. Use another sheet beneath if you are afraid of ruining your curtains.

Use pure cotton or linen instead of polyester or cotton mix for your bedsheets and quilts. Traditional mats made of bamboo, palm leaf, pandanut and screw pine can be an all time solution since they will not retain heat.

Do not switch on lights during daytime as they can produce heat. CFL and LED lights also produce heat. Incandescent bulbs should be avoided altogether, not only to reduce heat but also to cut down your electricity bill.

While cooking, try to use exhaust hood, avoid cooking items that can produce more heat and fume. Try not to make fried items at least during day time. Using an oven can reduce the heat generated.

Electronic gadgets produce lot of heat even if they are switched off. So unplug it during night time. You can make home cool by unplugging your television, computer, mixer grinder and oven. Use devices like washing machine in the evenings so that not much heat is produced.

Power failures in the city can be a headache especially in summers. Dry wet clothes inside your room so that a natural cooling effect is produced. While sleeping, use a wet cloth as blanket. Use a dry sheet beneath same as that in curtains so that wet cloth will not ruin your bed.

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