Here's What You Can Do to Stay Cool While You Wait for the Repairman
It always seems that appliances break when you need them the most. As the temperatures dipped into single digits during my first winter in Colorado, the heater broke. Thankfully, my apartment had 24-hour maintenance to help fix it which saved me from busted pipes. The hellish summer days where the mercury reads 90-plus also seem to be an opportune time for air conditioning units to up and quit.
While you don't need to worry about ruining your home's infrastructure if the air conditioner goes out, it does make for an uncomfortable stretch of time while waiting for the HVAC specialist to come over.
Below are some helpful tips to help you stay cool:
- Place a bowl of ice in front of a fan. I used to live in a pre-WWII home in the Highlands that had no A/C and that was a nightmare during a week of 100-degree temperatures. To stay cool at night, I used this method as a way of getting comfortable enough to fall asleep.
- Put ice packs in between your bedsheets before calling it a night. I know it sounds strange, but along with the ice bowl method, it works.
- Keep shades closed during the day. This is especially important for windows that face east. Even better, see if you can string up blackout curtains on these areas.
- If available, become a basement dweller. Basements are naturally cooler than the upper levels of a house. Grab the iPad and get to Netflix bingeing.
- Wrap a cold, wet washcloth, or bandana around your neck. This area is closest to the brainstem which regulates body temperature. By targeting this area you can make yourself feel cooler. Plus, you get to unleash your inner John Wayne.
- Consume all things cold. Doing this also helps regulate body temperature. Besides, it gives you an excuse to eat all the popsicles you want!
- Go the movies. Part of the draw to the talking pictures in the 1920's was the presence of air conditioning. In fact, they even had signs that read, "REFRIGERATED WASHED AIR" outside of the theaters to attract patrons. I'd be willing to sit through Fifty Shades Freed sober if it meant being swathed in delightful, refrigerated washed air.
- Go to a hotel. Consider it a vacation and book a room. At least there's room service.
Stay cool, everyone!
