on โ02-01-2013 04:31 PM
If you don't have an A/C like me please post your handy tips for staying cool. ๐
The evening before:
Fill up the icetrays and freeze plastic bottles of water.
Cut up lots of fruit like mangoes and watermelon and leave in the fridge. You won't feel like cooking tomorrow.
Fill up a spray bottle and keep in the fridge.
Close all curtains and blinds before you go to bed.
The day:
Laze around on the sofa and don't use the stove or the oven.
Drink lots of cool water with ice.
When the house starts heating up turn the fans on and place those frozen bottles of water you prepared earlier in a shallow tray in front of the fan.
Wipe down your pets with a cool wash cloth.
Place icecubes in their water bowls.
Place a large damp towel on the floor in front of the fans for your pets to lay on.
Wet a wash cloth/bandana and place that around your neck.
Have lukewarm showers or sit in a lukewarm bath. Wet your hair and if long put it up.
Evening:
If the temp drops open all the doors and windows. Put a linen or pure cotton bed sheet in the fridge for a couple of hours. Put an icepak on your pillow and move fan into the bedroom and place frozen bottles of water on a shallow tray in front of the fan and direct it on your bed. Place cold sheet on your bed. Jump in the shower and go to bed naked and wet.
๐
on โ02-01-2013 11:56 PM
I don't have aircon so those are all good ideas. .
Another thing I do for my dogs in a hot house is drape a wet
cloth over them while they're laying around.
And re walking the dogs if you do, apart from the hot air, beware of the hot pavements that burn their paws. .
And please, please, please, don't walk your doggies in the heat of the day, only very early morning or late evening or let them have the day off. Too many poor doggies I see being walked in the middle of the day in the blazing sun on a hot pavement.
We hose our dogs down regularly during the day (38 degrees here today, I love, love, love it, but the dogs do suffer). As the water evaporates it cools them down. They also enjoy a kids paddling pool (you can buy the clam shell ones really cheaply at places like Big W, Kmart, Bunnings) filled with cool water.
on โ03-01-2013 12:03 AM
Hosing them down is great - and it also cools you down too.
We braved the water restrictions and let our girl cavort under the sprinklers as well as hosing her down a few times during the day.
Our back terrace got to 49 in the shade ๐
Sorry we shared it with all you t'othersiders but we could not put up with it any longer ๐
on โ03-01-2013 07:34 AM
Be careful hosing down your dogs...the water on their coats can actually heat up in extreme weather making them hotter. A watchful eye is needed.
on โ03-01-2013 08:10 AM
on โ03-01-2013 08:20 AM
on โ03-01-2013 08:42 AM
our wabbit has been moved from outside to the laundry
no point bring the cats or dog in, have aircon but cant afford to run it
on โ03-01-2013 08:56 AM
My son & daughter-in-law freeze empty milk cartons of water and put out frozen ice blocks for the dogs. They also have a half clam and they both continuously have a dip. And your right mosters, the vet recommend not walking pets on very hot days.
We had a small bush fire here near Traralgon behind Glengarry but it was quickly extinguished.
on โ03-01-2013 09:45 AM
Good luck everyone and hope you all have your "plan" ready to go.
In Sunny Coast, no forecast for fire thank goodness....but it is VERY dry ....plus our land fronts on to a Pine Forest.:-(
on โ03-01-2013 09:47 AM
When my daughter was a new born in Sydney we had a 40 degree day or 2....I put a wet sheet up in front of the fan and placed her bassinet in front...
Also wore my swimmers and kept jumping in the shower and walking around wet...seemed to work.
on โ03-01-2013 10:24 AM
.
our wabbit has been moved from outside to the laundry
no point bring the cats or dog in, have aircon but cant afford to run it
When we had a pet rabbit froot, we used to bring her indoors on really hot days too, she seemed to be gasping for air and having trouble breathing in the heat.