11 Surprising Ways to Keep Cool in the Summer Heat

It’s hard to stay cool during a heat wave — especially if you don’t have an air conditioner. Even with the AC on, the heat gets to us and can actually be dangerous if you don’t stay properly hydrated. Here are some unusual hacks that will keep things cool and breezy for you all summer long.

1. Sleep under a slightly damp sheet or towel

It also works if you wear a damp t-shirt to bed. The evaporation of the cloth’s water keeps you cool — especially if you have a fan that can run throughout the night as well. When the skin comes in contact with cold, especially in areas with a high concentration of blood vessels near the skin, it helps transfer heat out of your body.

2. Put a bowl of ice in front of your fan

This DIY air conditioner hack can save you hundreds on your electricity bill, and is good to know in case your AC ever breaks down. Just throw ice cubes into a metal bowl (or freeze water directly in it) and place it in front of a running fan set on high. Try to tilt either the bowl or the fan so that air directly flowers on the icy surface, making the air blowing out even cooler.

3. Eat spicy foods

This doesn’t sound sensible, but surprisingly, hot foods such as jalapeño, habanero, and cayenne peppers have a specific kind of heat that comes from a chemical called capsaicin. While capsaicin is an irritant in humans that causes us to sweat, this sweating mechanism actually cools us down. When you don’t sweat in the heat — that’s when you’re in serious trouble.

4. Reduce intake of protein and salty foods

Both of these things create metabolic heat when they’re digested, and end up reducing your body’s water content. To remedy this, eat more veggies and fruits throughout the day, and eat tinier meals more frequently throughout the day.