Obscure heatwave tips from your friendly neighborhood californian
- You can cook your eyeballs Well you can burn them anyway. It sucks a lot. Limit your time outside even if you're a champ in the heat because the pain can last for a couple days after the burn. Sunglasses help the UV but hot air burns you too.
- Hot beans = cold beans stick those microwavable beanbags in the freezer. They don't stay cold for long but if you have a few you can rotate them. REALLY nice for putting on your head or burned eyeballs and a must-have for sleeping
- Your house is the worst in the evening Heat comes into the house and turns it into an oven later in the day, so while you may laugh at the sun during the peak temperature of the day, it's just plotting its revenge.
- Cover up windows in the morning You've heard this a million times before and it seems like so much work but trust me, this is THE biggest factor in keeping your house cool. For windows that don't have curtains, put cardboard up. Block the light, it's not your friend. Open windows again when the temperature outside is cooler/the same as inside.
- Identify the coolest room in your house and clean it You'll be spending a lot of time there
- Keep doors closed and lights out so you have cold places to retreat to
- You can just Leave If there's somewhere with cooler temperatures within driving distance, you can just go there during the worst times (like the evening)
- Stuff is gonna rot The garbage, dirty dishes, the dishwasher, bread, and just plain old good fruit will get really nasty REALLY fast. Stay on top of it, fridge food you normally leave out.
- Pets can overheat too Seems obvious but I get it. You have a lot on your mind in a heatwave. Remember that dogs, cats, bunnies, rodents, reptiles, birds, arthropods, and even fish can all overheat. Look up how to keep your specific pet cool so you can do it safely.
Your dog doesn't have shoes They can burn their feet on a walk, so hold your bare hand or feet to the ground periodically.
Don't water plants when it's hot You can boil their roots and kill them. Also you're probably not allowed if there's rationing happening. Water in the early morning or late evening.
- Bucket pool Dip your legs or arms into a bucket of hose water. Swish them around, play with it. It's actually really nice.
- It's free hot water leave a bucket (covered and filled to the top) out in the sun and bam. Hot water in the evening. What you do with it is up to you.
- Get extra deodorant You'll thank me later
- Do all your laundry before the heatwave hits you don't want to run out of shirts to soak with sweat
- It's going to get hotter than the forecast says, sorry
- Hydrate even if you hate water Get milk, juice, gatorade, I don't care. Soda is probably bad but liquid is liquid. I find coconut water to be the quenchiest
- Run ice cubes under water to jam them through the bottleneck
- Selfcare and hydrate throughout the day not just when you feel miserable. It helps later on.
Enjoy the cool air if you have it!
