--- title: Summer Advice: 5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool During Hot Weather description: No need to run air conditioner all day long canonical: https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-29T20:24:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T08:57:14.824Z og:title: 5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool og:description: No need to run air conditioner all day long og:url: https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb44f7015b66a6fe5/69885d19cd68486d4f0a1087/red-peppers-cut-slices.jpg?branch=production&width=339&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 339 og:image:height: 191 og:image:alt: red-peppers-cut-slices og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: 5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool twitter:description: No need to run air conditioner all day long twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb44f7015b66a6fe5/69885d19cd68486d4f0a1087/red-peppers-cut-slices.jpg?branch=production&width=339&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. by [Chris Baskind / Mother Nature Network](https://time.com/author/mnn/) ## Chris Baskind / Mother Nature Network Jul 29, 2015 8:24 PM UTC  Close-up of sliced red chili pepper on wooden table Close-up of sliced red chili pepper on wooden table Getty Images by [Chris Baskind / Mother Nature Network](https://time.com/author/mnn/) ## Chris Baskind / Mother Nature Network Jul 29, 2015 8:24 PM UTC In the Northern Hemisphere, there’s no doubt summer is here — and with it, the perpetual quest to stay cool. For those of us interested in sustainability, the thought of huge summer cooling bills (and all the greenhouse emissions they cause) is enough to send a chill down the spine. You’ve probably heard the basics of summertime energy management: keep your air conditioner filters clean, make sure your weather stripping is tight, draw the drapes during the heat of the day, and avoid the use of big heat-creating appliances like ovens and ranges whenever possible. If you want a quick review of hot weather energy-saving ideas, check this [giant list of summer cooling tips](http://www.mnn.com/your-home/around-the-house/stories/tips-for-cooling-off-this-summer). But there are other ways to keep your cool through the summer. We’ve rounded up five for your consideration, including several tried-and-true methods from the days before central air. Give one or two a shot, and see how they work for you. **1\. Go tropical** Take the lead of those who spend most of their lives in tropical climates: [loose, lightweight cotton and linen clothing rules](http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/natural-beauty-fashion/questions/how-can-i-maintain-my-appearance-in-100-degree-heat). The guayabera, sometimes called the “Mexican wedding shirt,” is constructed to cool you naturally. A relative of the traditional Filipino [barong](http://www.answers.com/topic/barong-tagalog), the guayabera wicks moisture from the skin and is worn untucked to promote air circulation. Madras is another good summertime choice for both men’s and women’s clothing. Don’t forget the old standard of the American Deep South: seersucker. Originally an Indian import, its crisp cotton and cooling ridges make it a hot weather classic. **2\. Cool that pulse point** When you were sick as a child, your mom may have brought you a cold facecloth. This idea works the same way. Chill your pulse points by running cold water over your wrist for a minute or so each hour. Splashing water on your temples or face can produce a similar effect. And be sure to put some of that tap water into a glass and [stay hydrated](http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/how-to-stay-hydrated). **3\. Don’t eat: Graze** Ever notice how you feel hot after a big meal? It’s not just because the food was served warm. Big, protein-laden meals force your body to stoke its metabolic fires. The solution is to break up your eating into smaller, more frequent meals. You’ll feel cooler — and it’s better for you, anyway. **4\. Eat to sweat** Latin America, India, Thailand — some of the world’s hottest places. And they happen to serve some of the world’s hottest foods. Scientists have argued for years over why this is the case, but the most likely reason is that spicy foods make you sweat without actually raising body temperature. Chalk it up to [capsaicin](http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/what-loving-or-hating-spicy-food-says-about-you), a chemical found in things like hot peppers. Once your skin is damp, you’ll feel cooled by its evaporation. Perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to also reread our article on [choosing a safer deodorant](http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/natural-beauty-fashion/stories/make-the-switch-to-a-natural-deodorant). **5\. Stay cool under the covers** A lot of people find it difficult to sleep in hot weather. Want to cool the bed down? Fill a standard hot water bottle with ice water. Use it to cool your ankles and the back of your knees — it works. You can also try bagging your sheets and tossing them in the freezer for an hour or two before bed. Cooling your head cools your entire body. Opt for a cool and absorbent pillow of organic cotton if at all possible. Put aside down and latex pillows until the weather cools down this autumn. _This_ [_article_](http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/5-unusual-ways-to-stay-cool) _originally appeared on_ [_MNN.com_](http://www.mnn.com/) _More from MNN.com:_ * [How to stay cool when you’re exercising in the heat](http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/how-to-stay-cool-when-youre-exercising-in-the-heat) * [20 things you didn’t know about zebras (including the one about mosquitos)](http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-zebras) * [Why do mosquito bites itch?](http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/stories/why-do-mosquito-bites-itch) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/"},"headline":"5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool","datePublished":"2015-07-29T20:24:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:57:14.824Z","description":"No need to run air conditioner all day long","url":"https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/","keywords":["Living","weather","Summer","advice","temperature"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb44f7015b66a6fe5/69885d19cd68486d4f0a1087/red-peppers-cut-slices.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chris Baskind / Mother Nature Network"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltb44f7015b66a6fe5/69885d19cd68486d4f0a1087/red-peppers-cut-slices.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"red-peppers-cut-slices","caption":"red-peppers-cut-slices","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-living/","name":"Living"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3977512/stay-cool-tips/","name":"5 Unusual Ways to Stay Cool"}}]}] ```