With summer officially here, many of us have been reluctantly adjusting back to the harsh Aussie heat. Sadly, when it comes to staying cool, relentlessly pumping your air conditioning unit is both environmentally and financially unsustainable. Read on for our tips on how to stay cool this summer.
TAKE YOUR WORKOUT TO THE WATER
While running is great exercise, it can be an uncomfortable sport during summer. It works up a massive sweat, which puts us at risk of dehydration.
Instead, take your workout to the pool. Opt for water jogging, water aerobics, pool volleyball, or simply do laps. If you want a more structured workout, perhaps check out these swim workouts.
BE CLEVER WITH YOUR PORTABLE FAN
Want to get more bang for your buck on your portable fan? With a little creativity, you can. Turn your fan into a mini air conditioner by placing ice cubes in a shallow bowl or pan in front of your fan. Instead of having warm air blow around, you’ll be treated to an icy cool breeze.
DRINK COOL BEVERAGES
To avoid dehydration and keep your body feeling cool, remember to drink cold beverages. While this seems obvious, a lot of us tend to forget to drink enough fluid, especially if we’re sitting down all day. If you want to make your cold drinks a bit more interesting, try adding fruit like orange slices or lemon.
SNACK ON “NICE” CREAM
While eating conventional ice cream all day is bound to help keep us cool, it’s probably not the best option for our nutrition. Instead, opt for “nice” cream! Nice cream simply means healthy ice cream. It’s usually made from frozen fruits with a creamy texture, like bananas or mangoes. Simply blend your frozen fruit in a food processor and pop in the freezer. Check out these yummy recipes for some ideas!
AVOID COOKING WITH YOUR OVEN
Using the oven in summer is a quick way to heat the house up. If you have an outdoor barbeque, try to cook with this as much as you can during summer. Alternatively, choosing the stove over the oven will help keep things cooler too. You may also opt for a slow cooker, as these emit far less heat compared to conventional ovens.
FREEZE THE SHEETS
Trying to get to sleep on a hot and sticky night is not ideal. To keep the bed and you cool, try popping your sheets in a sealed bag and placing them in the freezer. Once they’re crisp enough, take them out, make the bed and lie down.
The sun plays a big part in heating the house up. Remember to shut the blinds or curtains, especially for rooms that face north and west.
CHANGE YOUR LIGHTBULBS
You may be struggling to keep the temperature down in your house if you still have incandescent light bulbs installed. While these were phased out years ago in Australia, many older homes still have them. They emit a lot of heat and use up a lot of energy. Switching to energy efficient light bulbs will keep the temperature and your costs down.
JUMP IN THE POOL!
The pool isn’t just great for exercise. Pour yourself a cool drink and sink into the pool to cool down in no time. Whether you’re splashing around with the kids, relaxing on an inflatable sun lounge or simply sitting on the pool steps, pools are a staple when it comes to staying cool in the hot Aussie summer.
INSTALL SHADE SAILS OR OUTDOOR UMBRELLAS
If you need a break from the pool, make sure you have adequate shade available. Shade sails or umbrellas are a great addition to your pool area. This is especially useful for sun safety in the pool, and helps you stay cool while supervising children.
There are many ways you can stay cool this summer without running the aircon 24/7. Environ Pools have helped many Aussie families stay cool during our long summers by building them state of the art, family friendly swimming pools. If you’d like to get started on building your outdoor oasis, be sure to check out our Signature Range or get in touch with our friendly team. In the meantime, check out these six things you need to know before building a pool.
