13 Hot Weather Hacks to Cool You Off This Summer

There's no question that summer is terrific, but it does pose a few palpable threats to comfort. The sweat-soaked commutes? Sleepless nights spent fanning every square inch of your body, and constantly flipping your pillow? No thanks.
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Credit: Flickr/bark

There's no question that summer is terrific, but it does pose a few palpable threats to comfort. The sweat-soaked commutes? Sleepless nights spent fanning every square inch of your body, and constantly flipping your pillow? No thanks.

It doesn't have to be this way, though. This year, get wise to these 13 simple tips and tricks for remaining chill, even when the mercury's shooting through the roof.

1. Build an air conditioner out of an old bucket.
That window unit can be a lifesaver, but it's also responsible for your egregiously high electric bill between May and September. To cut down on costs, fashion a five-gallon bucket into a makeshift air conditioner by attaching a few PVC sections to its edges, filling it with ice water, and pushing air from tiny fan through the top. The best part? It doesn't hog up a whole window.

2. Make aloe ice cubes.
Odds are you'll be plagued with at least one sunburn this summer, and it pays to be prepared. Pick up a bottle of aloe vera gel and fill an ice cube tray. Remove them as needed to cool off while mending your beet-red skin.

3. Freeze a sponge.
Soak a fresh sponge in water, toss it in a Ziplock bag, and leave it in the freezer. When that unbearable moment of heat comes over you, take it out and rest it on your forehead or wrists. You'll cool down without getting soaked, since the sponge will absorb any residual moisture as it warms.

4. Wear wet socks to bed.
This one's for those unbearable nights. Place a towel at bottom of your bed and slip on a pair of socks you've soaked in cold water. Point a fan at your feet and prepare for a prolonged chill to tingle up your spine.

5. Put dryer sheets EVERYWHERE.
Face it, you reek in the summer. To keep things musk-free and smelling fresh leave dryer sheets in your shoes, clip them to your fan, and stick one or two to the front of the air conditioner vents.

6. Freeze your pillowcases and sheets.
So you can pass out on those particularly humid nights, stash a few pillowcases in a sealed bag in the freezer and slip them on before you hit the hay. You'll be surprised how well it works to cool you down. For an added thrill, try it with your boxers every once and a while.

7. Disregard social norms, use a mini-mister.
Keep a mini fan mister in your bag to stay fresh in the midday sun. Sure, you'll look like a total doofus, but you'll be the doofus who's literally cooler than everyone else in the general vicinity. Suck it, sun.

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