June 26th's Tip

Avoiding the heat: I hate to admit it, but living where we live and being on the 3rd floor, not using the air conditioner at all is impossible. The few times we lost power long enough for the heat to take over, it hit over 90F inside, and our bodies just cannot deal with that sort of humid, stifling heat. I'd like to say yes, we'll use the fans instead, but they only work to a point in here! If you have this problem, and even if you don't, there are some measures you (and I) can take to reduce your use of the air conditioning.

• Water. Drink it. You don't want to become dehydrated from the heat. You can also use water to keep cool. One of my favorite tips is keeping a spray bottle close - spritz yourself with it and sit in front of a fan. You can also soak a small towel or bandanna in cool water and put it on the back of your neck. When it starts to get to warm, twirl it through the air to cool it off.
• Dress properly. If you're in your own home, no one will fault you for walking around in your birthday suit (just make sure to keep the shades closed!). Undies or your bathing suit can be a good clothing option in the heat, as well. Outside, stick to summer appropriate clothing - linens, cotton, silk, light colors.
• Go downstairs. One tip I wish we could use. Being in a condo building on the 3rd floor, we don't have much choice, unless we want to sit in the shared hallway! As we all know, heat rises, so heading to the lowest level of your house could be a good way to cool off.

Want more tips? Wikihow's article How to Cool Yourself Without Air Conditioning has a number of good ones, from conventional to ones you probably never thought of (such as using mint!).

Contribute

We are looking for 4th of July tips for next week's Eco-Friendly Friday! If you've got a unique or informative tip and want to contribute to Eco-Friendly Friday, shoot us an email. Be sure to include your URL if you want a link to your site included with your tip!