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Mom's Top Safety Tips on How to Survive Extreme Heat With No A/C

Parent’s guide on preparing for summer heatwaves with kids, how to cool down your home, and safety tips on how to survive the extreme heat if your home does not have an Air Conditioner.

So here we have our British Columbia summer rolling with +43 in Vancouver this end of June 2021. Both Vancouver schools and almost all local outdoor attractions closed due to extreme weather. Let’s face it, heatwaves and extreme heat warnings are not common for Canada, especially Vancouver: so it is only natural that parents may appreciate some tips on surviving extreme heat, how to prepare for heatwaves in case of a warning, and all associated safety measures. 

Our home, as most other properties in BC, does not have air conditioning. So here in this post we share our own tips on how to survive extreme heat with kids without the AC. Although we do live in Canada, most of these tips may be useful to anyone anywhere in the world who is facing an unexpected heat wave. 

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Without further due, lets go through the tips and safety precautions to ensure your family survives all the extreme heat summer brought upon us.

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Keep windows and doors tightly shut

It may feel natural to open doors and windows to “let in the fresh air”. Yet during major heat waves, when it gets +30 + 35 +40 degrees outside, you definitely want to have your doors and windows shut, to keep boiling hot air outside. The outdoor temperature  Especially if your windows are on the sunny side. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: shut all doors and windows

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Shield the windows from sun

The windows that let sunny rays in, help to quickly heat-up your place to a boiling temperature. The best way to keep the heat outside is to shield the windows with something shiny, so the sun is reflected off. 

Did you know, they actually sell a special window sun screen shield that sticks on? I just found out! As we are heaving one of those extreme heat waves – first time in Vancouver in over 5 years that our family lives here. 

Regardless, if you want to opt-in for a temporary solution and don’t want a permanent shield, any shiny object will help.

If you happen to own a few extra car sun shield or outdoor emergency foil blankets  – tape them to your windows.  

However the cheapest way to keep away the sun is… your regular aluminum cooking foil. Use regular duct tape or some masking tape to stick it to your windows’ glass from the inside of the windows. Make sure the shiny side of the foil is looking outside, so the sun is better reflected. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: shield your windows from the sun

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Turn off all electricity

Unless you do have special energy-saving light bulbs installed, all your light sources will emit heat. So do all home electric appliances. Make sure all electric stuff is turned off to ensure you cut a couple of degrees from your room temperature.

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: shut down everything you can

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Get a fan off Amazon with next-day delivery

I know I know… “get a fan,” they said… while all the fans and portable A/C units are sold out everywhere! Well, if you are a Prime member on Amazon, you CAN actually get your portable fan on the next-day delivery. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: get a portable fan delivered to you

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Wear a wet cotton t-shirt

You know how they always tell you to avoid wearing cotton t-shirts when on a hike, or training? ‘Cuz cotton soaks in your sweat, rain, and other moisture, and doesn't dry that easily? 

This time it is the opposite. This is the time when your family is trying to survive the extreme heatwave. This is the exact time you SHOULD wear a cotton t-shirt. Soak your t-shirt in cold water, squeeze it out so it is wet enough but not leaking all over the floor, and wear it proudly! Enjoy the lasting feeling of coolness! Once your t-shirt is dry, repeat. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: wear wet cotton clothing 

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Do NOT keep open refrigerator and freezer

It is only natural to believe that if you open up the freezer, it will help you cool off your home during a heat wave. Right? Wrong!

Opening up the refrigerator or freezer will actually work on the contrary. In order to get the temperature down on the inside, your freezer has to take away the heat and put it somewhere else… and produce more cold in addition. The fridge will start working “harder”, hence its “engine” will be overheating adding more warm air to your place. 

Surviving Extreme Heat Tip: use the fridge to cool your drinks, but keep it shut.

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Do NOT run a cold shower. Better: cold bath.

Well, actually, running a cold shower seems like the best, as constant flow of cool water helps take the room temperature down. Yet, consider the waste of water it creates… and if you happen to pay for the water use, just think about the bill you’ll get. 

Much better option is to fill-up your bathtub, and in all the sinks in your home with cold water. This way the water will work as the natural air conditioner soaking in the heat, while you have a completely controlled water use.

Also, when you get extremely hot yourself, all it will take is to go stand with your feet in the bathtub for a few minutes, or just quickly dip yourself (and your kids) into the ice cold water, and you are instantly back to normal! 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: don't waste water on showers, take a bath instead!

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Do NOT EVER run your fan near the bathtub or shower

ABSOLUTELY DO NOT place any type of electric appliance next to your bathtub or shower.
NEVER have a fan that is plugged into the power outlet stand working in your bathroom. Especially if you have small kids. 

One misstep or awkward move for the appliance to get knocked into the water, and touching the water becomes deathly. 

According to recent research on Electrical injuries: “In the United States, there are approximately 1000 deaths per year, as a result of electrical injuries. There are also at least 30,000 shock incidents per year that are non-fatal. Heatwaves and extreme heat weather conditions are a definite contributor to these sad statistics.” [Michael R. Zemaitis; Lisa A. Foris; Richard A. Lopez; Martin R. Huecker. April 19, 2021]

Canada has half the deaths of that of the United States, yet still the number that is too-large-to-have.

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Safety: never use powered-up appliances near water

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Drink plenty of water

I hope I don’t have to tell you this, but I will anyway. Drink plenty of water during hot comer days, and especially when surviving an extreme heat day with your kids. I love the time-marked water bottles that will help you ensure everyone in your family is “accountable for” their water consumption. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Safety: stay hydrated

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Eat light. Avoid using the stove and oven.

Any cooking using a stove and oven will definitely add a few degrees to your room temperature. So the extreme heat days are the official days of celebrating the microwave!

Alternatively, your kids will absolutely love you for letting them chew on potato and vegetable chips and crackers all day! Just avoid sweet sodas, and replace the drinks with regular sparkling or coconut water instead. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: ditch cooking

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Outdoor Water Play

If you are in a house that has some outdoor play area, make it a water day for your kids! The extreme heat day is a great time to play with water outside. If your area does not have the drought water advisory, that is.  

1. First, make sure that there is some shade. Either put up a tarp, or place some beach umbrellas all around your backyard. The safety around enduring extreme heat outdoors starts with shade.

2. Secondly, make sure your kids wear sunscreen, and sun hats.

3. Thirdly, bring in the water! A LOT of water!

4. And lastly, TIME IT. Water or no water, shade or no shade, it is unhealthy for your kids to stay outdoors for too long during the extreme heat conditions. So make sure the outdoor fun is limited to short timed intervals.

If you don’t happen to have an outdoor inflatable swimming pool, just get all sorts of buckets and large pails out. Those plastic containers for moving will do perfectly. Even drawers from plastic storage cabinets can work. Fill those in with water! 

Older kids may find it fun to play with water guns, so make sure you pick some up from the local store or off Amazon.

Surviving Extreme Heat Wave Tip: have water fun outside!

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Drive to the nearby Mall

All Malls have A/C running constantly. There is always food available at a food court, some Malls have kids play areas, and some may even have movie theatres. The day the extreme heat warning is announced, may be a good day for your family to catch-up on shopping. 

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: Malls have A/C and entertainment. Use it!

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Check yourself into a hotel with A/C

For many of us, IT crowd and digital nomads people, staying home on a hot summer day also means we have to work. What do you do if your brain is about to turn liquid, but there is an urgent deadline that doesn't care about the extreme heat warning? 

If the worst comes to worst, it may actually be cheaper to check yourself and your family into an air-conditioned hotel room for a few days. ‘Cuz when you add-up all the water toys, and portable fans, and the cost of water and electricity, and the amount of stress… yep, indeed, a hotel now sounds like a plan! 

So don’t delay and check out local hotels with swimming pools you can take advantage of! 

Curious fact (I am not the only one thinking in this direction): during our recent #Heatwave2021 in Vancouver, most of BC hotels got quickly sold out. I mean, of course! Kids' schools are closed anyways, so why not take a road trip to a not-so-crowded swimming lake and spend a few days chilling? I'm in!

Surviving Extreme Heat and Preparing for Heatwave Tip: go on a staycation!

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Concluding notes

Let's face it: extreme weather sucks, whether that be a winter snow storm or summer heatwaves. When you are a parent, it is however important to always be prepared to all sots of natural disasters, to ensure your family is safe, and our kids are healthy. I hope that our tips on how to survive extreme heat, and on preparing to endure heatwaves helped you, if only a little bit.

In the meantime, here are a few more summer safety-related posts:

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Check out next: more travel tips

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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