Insulate Yourself
July 28, 2010,
By Steve Thompson
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I live in Houston where none of us is a stranger to the heat. Days that reach 100 degrees followed by 80 degree nights make you feel like you're baking alive, and the humidity from the gulf makes the heat nearly unbearable.
Summer might be a season of beach vacations and lounging by the pool, but it can also be dangerous. To keep your family safe and cool, preparation is necessary to brave the summer months.
Plan Your Day
When I was a kid, my mother always used to talk about the "heat of the day," and it became her mantra from May to September. "You can't go outside now, it's the heat of the day!" "What were you thinking, mowing the lawn in the heat of the day?"
Plan your day around the "heat of the day" if you want to keep your family safe in the heat. Designate the mornings and evenings for outdoor adventures, then retreat indoors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. These hours are great for watching television, reading, indoor home improvement projects and playing indoor games.
Prepare Your Home
There is no reason to waste money on energy that could be used elsewhere. As summer approaches, get your house ready for the heat by insulating doors and windows, repairing the air conditioner, getting fans in working order and programming your thermostat.
When does your family need the air conditioning most? In our house, nights are the time to crank up the air because none of us is comfortable sleeping in the heat. If you're a cold sleeper, you might want to set the air conditioning lowest during the heat of the day.
Cover Up
Make it a rule in your house that if anyone goes outside during the day, they need to have some sort of protection from the sun. This might mean long sleeves and long pants, but a more practical solution is sunscreen.
Read the bottle carefully and put more on when recommended. There is currently some debate about the efficancy of sunscreen, but better safe than sorry in the summer heat. And remember, if you or your kids will be in the pool, make sure the sunscreen is waterproof.
Get Hydrated
The best defense against summer heat is hydration. Another broken-record moment from my mother: "Drink lots of water!" She used to write that in all her letters when I attended summer camp in Arizona, and they were her final words to us when we left the house in the morning.
Keep an insulated thermos around whenever you're outside in the summer heat. To keep it cold, fill the whole thing with ice and just a little bit of water, then drink the melted ice throughout the day. You can also add Gatorade or other sports drinks if you want to keep up with electrolytes.
Watch the Pets
One thing I've learned about living in Texas is that pets are as vulnerable to summer heat as humans. When the family dog starts panting harder than normal or stops drinking, it's time to worry. Dogs and cats will naturally find the coolest places in the house to hang out. They are particularly fond of cool surfaces, such as marble and ceramic tile. Make sure your pets always have an abundant supply of water, and my vet recommends lemon-lime Gatorade if they start to dehydrate.
Cooling Off
Don't have a swimming pool? No problem. Baths and showers are just as effective. One of the easiest and most effective ways to stave off summer heat is to take plenty of these. They bring down your body temperature and provide relief from the sweltering heat.
Steve Thompson is a regular contributor to Associated Content from Yahoo!
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