How to beat the heat and stay cool during a heatwave
I am sitting here at my desk, sweating, schvitzing, glowing. Condensation beads on my water glass form a damp circle on my desk that I am simply too humid to do anything about. Outside my office window, the cat dozes fatly on the sill, oblivious to the swifts screaming overhead.
What is the shortest measurable length of time? The nanosecond between the thermometer hitting 86F (30C) and a British person complaining it’s too hot. But frankly, it is too hot.
My newsagent, Hassan, an Iraqi and wise counsel on many things, says that when the temperature rises, you should eat cucumber and watermelon every day. So I have been doing as I’m told and chopping them into salads, eating them as snacks, or juicing them – and also sometimes sipping them with a splash of dehydrating vodka or rum, because honestly these hot days are endless. I’ve also been devouring fat, sweet tomatoes, a regular order from thetomatostall.co.uk, grown on the Isle of Wight and as beautiful as they are delicious. I add a trickle of their oak-smoked tomato balsamic, £8.95 for 250ml, or chill them in gazpacho – which also, with a splash of vodka, can very easily be repurposed as a dinnertime Bloody Mary.
Throughout the house, I crack the windows to create a through draft – I installed those locks that allow you to open the windows a little bit, so I can do it relatively safely. I’ve also placed shallow bowls of ice in front of electric fans because I saw it in a movie once and it feels slightly glamorous, as well as being splendidly cooling. Less glamorously, when I am flagging in the afternoon I put my feet in a basin of cool water under my desk which is as reviving as a nap, and even better for general productivity. When it is really impossibly boiling, I soak neckerchiefs in water, put them in a Ziploc bag in the freezer and apply as necessary. This is something I started to do for my dogs (see below) but then I thought, why should they have all the fun?
For many of us, the heat is at its least charming at night. My bedroom faces west, so if I forget to lower the blinds in the afternoon (keep the curtains closed and the blinds drawn as much as possible – it really helps), by the evening it’s like trying to fall asleep in a beautifully appointed west-facing bread oven.
A couple of years ago, my husband bought a portable air conditioner, which is effective but about as restful as someone running a tractor 10ft from your head.
I try to remember to turn it on about an hour before we go to bed so once the room is cool, I can turn it off and we can be soothed to rest by the more usual urban chorus of sirens and people fighting at the bus stop.
One of the most unpleasant aspects of getting and staying asleep is wrestling sweatily with a tangle of sheets. Before I go to bed, I dust the sheets very lightly with some talc or cornflour, which really helps to keep them smooth and cool.
Go easy – you don’t want to end up like that episode of Friends where Ross attempted to ease on his tight leather trousers by applying a thick blizzard of talc.
And most importantly, as much as you possibly can, avoid dashing about as though everything is normal. It’s not. Expect less of yourself and you won’t be disappointed.
How to keep your dog cool in the heat
My cat seems oblivious to heat, being quite happy to poach herself beneath the lit wood burner in winter, where it must be 400F. My dogs, not so much. Heat stroke is very serious and can come on quickly.
Don’t walk your dog in the heat of the day. If it is really hot, skip the walk.
Watch out for their paws – they burn easily. Place the back of your hand on the pavement and if you can’t hold it there for more than five or six seconds, it’s too hot for your dog.
They should always have a bowl of water accessible to them.
A neckerchief soaked in cold water can help.
Cooling mats and jackets are a good idea. You soak the jackets in water first, and the mats contain a gel that keeps them 10-20F (5-10C) cooler than room temperature. Try the Easidri high-performance cooling coat, from £35, and Scruffs self-cooling dog mat, from £23, both at petsathome.com.
Do you have a question for Debora or perhaps a domestic tip to share? Email askdebora@telegraph.co.uk
