Top 10 Funniest and Weirdest Things People Do to Beat the Heat

With global warming on the rise, we’re seeing hotter summers. While desert-dwelling animals may be happy about that, most humans aren’t. What do you do when you’re so hot you want to unzip your skin?

While stripping down to your bones isn’t a reasonable way to beat the heat, the strategies below are. Start cooling down now!

The Ice Fan

If you have a bowl of ice and you have an electric fan, you have a classic DIY cooling method.

Take your electric fan and plug it into the wall, pointing wherever you think it’ll cool you the most.

Make sure it’s on a table, or there’s a space in front of it for your bowl of ice. Fill up a bowl of ice from your freezer and add a little water at the bottom.

Place the bowl of ice in front of the fan and turn the fan on. Now you’re getting whatever condensation the ice makes blown on you. It works in a pinch!

Need a good fan? Check it out.

Kiddie Pools

Do you have to do something outside, like watching a kid’s T-ball game and it’s just TOO hot?

Along with your lawn chairs, snacks, and sunscreen – bring a bag of ice and a kiddie pool.

Throw some ice into the kiddie pool and put the front feet of your chair right up to the edge. Then, kick off your shoes and rest your feet in the icy water.

You’ll feel like you’re splashing around in the ocean when you’re really on a hot, sweaty field.

Don’t want to carry a kiddie pool? A cooler works too. You’ll just have to step into it before you sit down!

Cereal Box Hand Fan

You know what you can use to fan yourself in the summer? Just about anything that’ll move air. The thickness and flexibility of a cardboard cereal box are perfect.

Use a pair of scissors and cut out a square or rectangle shape. You can do something cute like a heart or a circle too if you want.

Make sure there aren’t any too-sharp edges and then find a popsicle stick. Hot glue the stick onto the cardboard and there you go! You have a portable fan you can take anywhere you want.

This is a fun project for kids too, they can decorate their fans so they’re air-moving pieces of art!

A Hair Dryer

Did you know your hair dryer has a setting that can keep you cool? If you’re having a hot flash or just need a quick cool down, grab your hair dryer from under the sink.

Plug it in, then splash some water on your skin. We recommend behind the neck, on the wrists, or on your clavicle.

Then, point the hair dryer at the wet area, making sure to press the cool-blast option. The cool air will react with the water and you’ll have instant relief.

Cooling Pads

They make cooling pads for dogs and cats that have to stay outside in the heat. But guess what, they’re not just for your furry friends!

You can buy a dog cooling pad and use it as extra cushioning at your work desk, in your lawn chair, or in your car. Look for the kind that isn’t water-based, so you don’t sit down and get wet.

Most of the cool wear off within a couple hours, but if it’s hot enough – anything helps!

Heat Up Your Meals

Do you ever wonder why the spiciest foods come from the hottest countries? They’re not gluttons for punishment nor are they always hot- quite the opposite.

When you eat very spicy food, the body responds like it does to temperature heat – by sweating.

Sweat’s only purpose is to create moisture that can cool the body down. So, eating spicy foods that make you sweat? Actually can cool you down.

We’re not saying go bite into a Ghost Pepper unless you’re fine with burning off your taste buds. But don’t shy away from that hot sauce when it’s a scorcher.

And if it’s too hot and you’re dying – skip the water! Drink milk.

Get Low

Are you stuck in a stuffy house or office building? Find your way to the lowest floor!

Heat rises, so the upper levels are always hotter than the ones closer to the ground. If you have access to a basement – that’s even better. Being under the ground (even partly) helps regulate the temperature.

It’s the same reasoning as animals who burrow down into the soil when it’s hot.

Peppermint and Water

Have you ever had some really intense mint gum and then drank water? The chilly feeling you get down your chest isn’t your imagination. The sensation of the water reacting with the natural menthol creates a cooling feeling.

Chewing strong gum with menthol and drinking ice water cools you down from the inside out.

It’ll also keep you from snacking on random things, which, unless they’re spicy, makes your body work harder and can make you hotter.

Take a Nap

Sometimes if you’re hot, you get tired.

Why? Your body cools down while you sleep. It’s part of the restorative process of sleep and the inner healing that goes on.

So, laying down for a nap can actually cool you down. Try spraying some cold water on yourself and toweling off before you lay down if you find it’s too hot to get comfortable.

Taking cold showers isn’t as bad as it seems if you don’t get your head or torso wet. You can handle some cold spray on your legs for the sake of sleep, can’t you?

Beat the Heat

From ice baths, to hand fans, to Altoids, there are some crazy ways to beat the heat.

When it’s the middle of the summer and it’s so hot you wish you could step out of your skin, which one would you try?

Let us know in the comments!

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