Baby, It’s Hot Outside!

Now that the temperature has officially reached over 100 degrees in southern Arizona, here are some ways to beat the heat and enjoy the summer.

You:

1. Do not lie in the sun and fall asleep.
2. Do not walk outside in bare feet.
3. Do not do strenuous work outside in the heat alone.
4. Exercise early or late when it’s cooler. During the heat of the day, exercise indoors.
5. Drink plenty of water. I drink water before my morning run and carry a liter of water with me. By the time I’m done, the water is gone.
6. Wear loose clothes made with natural fabrics and light colors. Dark colors absorb the sun’s rays and will be warmer. Skip the pantyhose if possible.
7. Wear long sleeves and pants. Covering up may actually keep your cooler, especially if the heat is low in humidity. Consider sun protective clothing, like Coolibar.
8. Do not touch metal, or even dark plastic, car door handles, ignition switches, steering wheels, keys or stick shifts. Keep a small towel handy so you don’t burn yourself.

Car:

1. Use sunshades in your car.
2. Do not leave chocolate, dairy products, fresh flowers or fish in the car.
3. Do not leave compact discs on the seat or dash of the car.
4. Do not leave children or pets in your car. Not even for a minute. A child can die, or become brain damaged, if left in a car when it’s only in the 80s outside, or even cooler.
5. Cracking the windows does little to prevent temperatures from rising in the car, but many people do it. That, and leaving your vents open, at least provides a little more ventilation.
6. Do check your car’s battery often and make sure that water levels are adequate.
7. Does color make a difference? A car with a darker exterior and/or interior color will get hotter on the inside somewhat faster that a light colored vehicle standing out in the summer sun. After a while, it doesn’t make any difference; they are both HOT.
8. A vehicle with a leather interior, sitting in the summer sun, will burn your thighs (even through pants!) every time, no matter what color the leather seats are.
9. Do not travel with your dog in the back of your flatbed truck. The floor heats up fast, especially if it is metal and the dog cannot escape it.

Home:

1. Do not turn off the air conditioner in the house while you are at work if you have pets in the house.
2. Do not constantly turn the air conditioner on and off. Keep your house at a somewhat constant temperature.
3. Do not use your oven and create more heat in your house. Use the microwave instead.
4. Use a slow cooker to prepare one dish meals without adding heat to the house.
5. Put lids on pans to hold the heat in while cooking.
6. Turn the thermostat on your hot water heater down to 120 or 115 degrees.
7. Take a 5 minute shower with cool water instead of hot.
8. Skip the heated dry cycle. Let your dishes air-dry in the dishwasher.
9. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Dry your clothes on hangars or outside.
10. Try to do any ironing at one time to prevent having to heat the iron several times.
11. Do “wet” chores in the early morning or at night when it’s cooler. This will help to keep humidity down. This includes washing clothes or dishes, mopping floors, watering indoor plants, etc.
12. Turn off computers, printers, copiers, and home electronics when they are not in use. Surge protectors that allow you to plug several items into one strip with an on/off switch make this even easier.
13. Close the blinds, shades and doors as soon as the sun hits the side of the building. Keep them closed until the temperature outside is cooler than inside.

Pets:

1. Do not walk your dog on pavement after the sun has been heating it up. The pads of his/her feet will burn.
2. Make sure your pets have adequate shade and cool water for drinking and swimming (or better yet, bring them inside).

More:

1. Help Your Dog Beat Summer’s Heat
2. How to Cool Yourself Without Air Conditioning
3. How to Stay Cool This Summer (While Saving The Earth—And Some Cash)

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