It’s 10:00 PM in the peak of Summer and you wake up hot and your house is particularly humid. We searched far and wide to learn from Palm City natives just what to do when you find yourself in this sticky predicament and compiled for you a quick list of sage advice for beating the heat when calling your favorite air conditioner support technicians is not an option. When you can’t wait for your wholesale air conditioner to get back into gear-or perhaps, for your AC replacement installation, follow these tips from your Palm City neighbors:
Freeze your cotton sheets. Okay, so don’t totally freeze them. Rather, this resident’s advice was to take cotton sheets and, in a zip lock plastic bag, cool them in the freezer for ten to fifteen minutes.
Dig out your good ‘ol fashioned fans. They may be collecting dust but you’ll be glad you still have them when the heat strikes. Put them in your open windows facing outside in order to draw the heat out of your home and put it right where it belongs-outside!
Do as the Egyptians do. When your home becomes victim to a heat wave, it’s time to take care of yourself, shame free! In ancient Egypt, people slept, forgive me for my French, in the nude! Or in very thin, very light cotton tops.
Travel back in time-remember when refrigerators actually had solid blocks of ice in them? I don’t either, but I’ve heard about it! One Palm City resident told her AC technician that she echoed this age-old cooling system by filling a metal cake pan with ice and placed her fan in front of it. It works! Hey, not as good as an actual air conditioner, but it’ll get you through the night.
Learn about thermal regulation pressure points. There are five points where heat is always flowing from your body. After marathons, overheated athletes can often be spotted with chilled towels laid meticulously over these spots. When you’re feeling the burn, stick a few wash cloths in your freezer and then chill your points! Lay them over the inside bend between your forearm and biceps, where your neck meets your chest, behind the knees and on the back of your neck.
Be prepared, get a chillow! One Palm City resident said his night was saved by a gift he received from his grandson. These cooling, gel filled pillows seem like the perfect way to feel fancy, comfortable and get a good night’s sleep
Stay hydrated. Not much is worse than a case of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Keep your body happy by keeping your body hydrated.
Of course, your AC could go out midday, when your technicians are available. In this case, lucky you! The first step to take is the age old, rule of thumb-safety first. Unplug and disable the power to your unit. Check the filter and replace if needed, check that your thermostat is operating okay and finally, Palm City residents say that when in doubt, get your air conditioner serviced. Getting the support you need is essential to surviving the hot and humid year round weather here. Regular maintenance and upkeep of your air conditioner can eliminate middle of the night suffering and excess AC replacements.
Happy cooling!