8 Tips to Stay Cool During a Heatwave

We're stuck in another heatwave. And, this time we're in an economic downturn. You must balance keeping cool with the necessity to keep expenses low. Here's a few simple tips to help you get through the hot weather.

1. When you bath or shower, use a loofah to cleanse your skin. A loofah removes the dead skin cells and enables your body to freely wick moisture from the surface. Not only, will this improve you body's ability to cool itself better, but you'll benefit with softer skin and an overall feeling of clean. You can purchase featured loofah from any Walmart for $.97.

2. Clean bare floors are cooler than carpeted floors. If you have a floor rug that covers about 25% to 50% percent of the room, maybe you want to remove it until autumn? Or, you can roll it up in-place against a wall, as long as there's no trip hazard (elderly, handicapped, children, traffic lane etc.).

3. For those who use powders, at bedtime very lightly dust bed linens with 100% cornstarch baby powder. Cornstarch, absorbs moisture and keeps the skin feeling cooler.

4. In the large cities you've read about it, elderly people becoming ill, or worse, rather than use a fan or air conditioner for fear of high electric bills. In dire situations, make a trade off. During the day hours turn off the refrigerator and use whatever cooling unit is available*. Food can stay cooled in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Thus in the case of shutting the refrigerator off for 7-8 hours, no food should spoil in the interim. In the evenings, turn the refrigerator back on and place a fan in a window.

*Cordon off the cooled area as much as possible, closing doors and areas not in use.

5. In humid weather, use a de-humidifier to remove moisture from the air. In humid weather it's the high moisture content in the air that makes it so uncomfortable. A dehumidifier operates for pennies a day.

6. In outdoors areas, use a water misting fan. These fans emit a spray of water and significantly cool outdoor areas. This fan can be purchased from $54, at Walmart, Ace Hardware Stores or check in Google Product Search enter these terms, "buy misting fan."

7. Keep your body temperature low, drink plenty of pre-chilled spring water.

8. Use insulated curtains. Insulated curtains protect the temperature inside the home-be it hot or cold. Keep curtains drawn once ideal temperature is reached.