Heatwave in Germany - THAT should help?

Summers are getting hotter and hotter due to global warming - even in Germany. Air conditioning is not yet so common in Germany, especially in private homes. So it's called: SWEAT! Or? On the Internet some more or less helpful tricks are circulating to cool down at high temperatures. Among other things, we have read that a wet towel in front of the fan should bring an actual cooling effect. We tried the "anti-heat trick" and measured whether it really gets cooler. You can find more tips against the heat at the end of the article.

Test setup

We measured the temperature in a 24 m² room on a particularly hot day (33°C outside temperature). We aired the room for 10 minutes beforehand, so the air quality in the room was good. The temperature in the room after airing was 27.25°C. Then we closed the windows and placed a simple stand fan in the room. We wet a towel with ice-cold water and attached it to the fan. 

The fan test

We let the fan run and rotate at the highest level. Our test ran for about 90 minutes without a person being in the room. You can see on the graph that the temperature did not show any significant drop. The fluctuations were so small that the temperature remained at about 27 degrees during the entire test. 

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Other values, however, changed in the visible and perceptible range. For example, the air humidity, which even exceeded the limit value of 60%, as can be seen here:

VOCs also increased, which is certainly due to the fragrances in the detergent of the freshly washed towel and is not harmful.

Conclusion on the anti-heat trick:

Even though the overall room temperature has not dropped, we have noticed that the immediate airflow coming out of the fan cools significantly. Due to the evaporative cooling, you can feel a cool breeze in the immediate vicinity of the fan, but it does not change the room temperature. Therefore, we still recommend the tip, for example, at the desk or at night next to the bed, because the direct coolness is very pleasant. 

We have collected for you more tricks against the heat, which you are welcome to try:

1. wet towel, or wet hair

To sleep well at night even in the heat, you need to cool down. You can do this, for example, with the help of a wet towel or washcloth, which you can use to cool yourself down or cover yourself up again and again. Going to bed with wet hair also helps. In combination with a fan, these tips are even more effective. Attention: too wet, dripping towels or hair leave water stains, which can lead to mold in the bed linen and mattress.

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2. disconnect devices from the mains

PCs, laptops, TVs and other devices produce heat continuously even in standby mode. You should therefore disconnect them completely from the mains when they are not in use. On hot days, also refrain from charging devices indoors - this can be done better at night.

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4. choose suitable clothes 

Wear loose, airy clothing made of natural fabrics such as cotton or linen on hot days. Dark clothing absorbs and retains heat from the sun, so light-colored clothing is a better choice. Tight-fitting, synthetic clothing can cause heat buildup.

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5. cool wrists

Run cold water over the spot where you normally take your pulse on your wrist, or use a cooling pad. This provides a refreshing effect in between. If no cooling pad is at hand, you can also use products from the freezer.

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6. please do not take cold showers! 

Ice-cold showers abruptly stimulate the circulation and increase blood pressure. It also causes blood vessels to contract rapidly to retain heat in the body. This leads to increased sweating after cooling down. Therefore, it is better to take lukewarm showers. After showering, let your skin dry in the fresh air, because the evaporation of water has an additional cooling effect.

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7. use refrigerator and freezer properly

Refrigerators and freezers give off heat, especially when they are opened. Therefore, always think in advance what you want to take out and quickly close the doors again. Also, only set the appliances as cold as necessary, otherwise they will produce even more heat. The ideal temperature is 7°C for the refrigerator and -18°C for the freezer.

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8. no ice cold drinks

Even if you often feel like having ice-cold, fizzy drinks in summer, it is best to drink lukewarm tea or lukewarm water and make sure you drink enough fluids. Drinks that are too cold have to be warmed up by the body. This demands a lot of energy from it and heats it up additionally.

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9. try light summer recipes

Light, water-rich meals put less strain on the body and provide refreshment. Fruits such as watermelon or pineapple are ideal as a snack between meals. Salads rich in minerals are also a good choice. Refrain from spicy dishes, as they can lead to increased sweating. Eat hard-to-digest meals later in the evening when it has cooled down. 

So there are many tips and tricks to help you cool down in the heat. Hopefully, this will get you through the summer refreshed.

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