Having a literal melt down

I don't think this has been suggested yet, but am sorry in advance if it has. 

I saw a social media post where the person said they'd tried all kinds of suggestions that people had offered, and the thing they'd found most helpful was to put a wet tea towel in the freezer, let it chill, then drape it around the back of their neck.

Using two or more tea towels (perhaps ideally with a good rinse in between uses), that can be done in rotation, so there's always another one ready to use. If a tea towel is too much, sensory-wise, perhaps a flannel might be more tolerable.

Hi everyone,

Please remember:

Rule 7: Be respectful in discussions
Disagreements are fine, but personal attacks, insults, and swearing are not. Respect other viewpoints and avoid escalating arguments.

I know its harder with the hot weather but its really important that everyone can share their views on the community.

Best wishes,

Olivia Mod [posted by Suzanne Mod]

When I worked in the office we had air con. but then when I came out I had to walk home in the heat.

It's horrid and we've not got it as hot as other places, I don't know how I'm going to cope

My bungalow still has cool bricks during the day [I mean, as in cold, not meaning 'fashionable' !] because I follow the BBC advice exactly. I also have heavily-lined curtains +  4mm flat polycarbonate panels fixed to the inside of each window with velcro [ie fitted so I can still open them without taking the panels out]. These measures alone make a huge difference.

When not going out, I wear summer PJ's all day [no bra] and soft slippers. I drink tea a lot - more cooling than cold drinks. As Iain  suggests, a fan next to an open window AT NIGHT [not when it's hot] helps cool the room. He's given full instructoins about adding ice or cold water at a distance from the fan for further effect. This cools down the bricks which is a major way of keeping your room cool for hours during the day. To help distract me from night heat, I use a galaxy projector, recommended to me by someone here - sadly can't find the link but thank you to whoever it was!

No thank you, Iain. I'm out.

Fill a hot water bottle with cold water and keep it in the freezer until bedtime.

I haven’t used this method yet but will be trying it out this evening, along with a wet sheet draped over my body. I tried a wet towel a few days ago, but I couldn’t manage the sensation of it on my body.

Bunny said:

In the UK, as the NICEIC explains, there are heavy restrictions on electrical sockets in bathrooms. And "most bathrooms" certainly don't have electrical outlets for hairdryers.

Please read the link you sent - it clearly shows the different zones and what sort of electrical appliances can be used in each. I never suggested using an appliance in the bathroom, just pointed out that you can have sockets (for a shaver for example) which are well within the guideline.

Bunny said:

putting an open bowl of water close to a mains-powered fan introduces an obvious electrical hazard.

By this logic we could never eat a bowl of cereal in a kitchen, have an open cup of tea near a socket in the living room and so on. Please use common sense and reason to stay safe.

Bunny said:

And that's before considering that autistic people can have particular problems with clumsiness (there are plenty of threads here about that). So it's easy to see how a fan or bowl could be knocked over, causing them to come together.

I would expect that anyone knowing they are particularly clumsy or had a less capable family member who was like this would take common sense steps here, such as using a wet towel instead of a bowl of water. We have to take responsibility for our own safety and I believe we are all educated from school that adding water to electricity is bad so we know to be sensible about it.

The danger is not from the fan and bowl of water but from the humans doing things to them so I maintain that the setup itself is not inherently dangerous.

ALM said:

a very expensive loud air conditioning unit

They are loud but I think mine has saved my life.

I can't get my house cool because of a glass conservatory open onto a kitchen.

The heat just pounds around the house, especially moving upstairs, as heat does.

I have a big fan pointed directly at me then I periodically spray myself with a spray bottle of water. It's temporary but I kinda keep doing that until I fall asleep. Luckily I work in an air conditioned office but it doesn't help at home. Seriously considering moving to somewhere big enough for an air conditioning unit.

Dear ALM,

I am really sorry that the heatwave is causing you anxiety and dysregulation. I am really glad to see that you have had some really great suggestions from the online community and I hope some of this advice has been helpful for you. 

I know so many of our community are struggling in this heat so I thought I would share some of my own ways of trying to manage with this recent heatwave:

• Cooling blanket- I have recently purchased one and I have been using this a lot of the time! I cannot sleep without some sort of blanket so this has been very helpful
• As Martin suggested a cool shower than some time in front of the fan is very helpful
• Sleeping and sitting closer to the floor as I find it can be hotter the higher up you are (Maybe this is just me!)
• Staying hydrated
• If you have to go out, early morning or late evening trips so you can avoid the hottest time of the day
• Keeping curtains drawn at all time

I hope some of this helps,

Olivia Mod

 

[content removed and posted at top of thread]

Iain said:

there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

Revised opening sentence: Your claim that there “seems [to be] no concern” about electrical outlets in bathrooms is untrue and a false premise.

In the UK, as the NICEIC explains, there are heavy restrictions on electrical sockets in bathrooms. And "most bathrooms" certainly don't have electrical outlets for hairdryers.

The Electrical Safety Council also advises: "Never bring mains-powered portable appliances such as hairdryers ... into a bathroom. You could be severely injured or killed."

Iain said:

All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

Neither a Residual Current Device (RCD) nor a fuse is guaranteed to prevent electric shocks. As the Health and Safety Executive explains:

"A Residual Current Device (RCD) can reduce the likelihood of an electrical injury but a shock can still cause very serious or fatal injuries, so an RCD should only be used as a secondary means of reducing the risk of people being injured by electricity." 

Iain said:

there is no inherent danger here

On the contrary, putting an open bowl of water close to a mains-powered fan introduces an obvious electrical hazard.

And that's before considering that autistic people can have particular problems with clumsiness (there are plenty of threads here about that). So it's easy to see how a fan or bowl could be knocked over, causing them to come together.

Personally, I wouldn't put an open container of water anywhere near a mains-powered fan.

TheCatWoman said:

I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

The fan is a conventional one - the tray can be just a bowl of ice or cold water which can be 20cm or so in front of the fan to prevent contact. Since the wind is blowing away from the fan then the water vapour will not be an issue of the fan itself.

As for safety, there are electrical outlets in most bathrooms for things like hairdryers or shavers and there seems no concern over these in general.

All appliances should be fused and the mains as well (I realise you live in an ancient house but I hope the electrics are up to code) so in the event of and short circuit due to a spill then the fuses should detect the increased current flow and trip / blow.

In conclusion, there is no inherent danger here and when water is actually poured into the fan then it has safety mechanisms to protect you.

There is no contact between the fan and the water. You just have a tray or bowl of ice water in front of the fan and the fan blows the cool air from it.

You can also purchase fans with a mister function that can be good for cooling but may increase humidity slightly.

As long as you aren't putting water into the electrical components of a fan there is no issue

Are these types of fan legal in the UK? I would of thought there was a hazzard having water and electricity so close?

In dire need, taking a cool to luke-warm, not cold, shower then briefly patting with a towel to get rid of most of the wet, but leaving the skin moist, then evaporating yourself dry, perhaps in front of a gentle fan, will cool things down.

I have blacked out windows using cardboard with tinfoil on the side facing out. It should insulate the house against the heat and reflect the worst of it.

I'm sure someone else will have said but as soon as it starts warming up, shut all windows and close all curtains especially south facing ones.

Regular cold showers especially before bed and keep a wet towel around you if you can. I know that can be sensory hell for some but it helps a lot.

Keep multiple frozen water bottles in rotation so you always have at least one frozen. Good to drink or the wrap in something and hold against you.

I wish I lived in Scotland! I always say if I ever move anywhere, I would only consider moving further North and to somewhere where there is less people! I'm in North Cumbria where it should be "safe" from hot weather but it's already far too hot here and forecast to be 36 degrees on Thursday!

ALM said:

Do you have any tips? 

I would recommend using one of the fans and have a tray of cold water (ideally with ice in it) and position it so that the air blown by the fan passes over the tray. You may need to boost it with a box or something similar to get to the right height.

This then blows cooled, moist air that is great for keeping cool. You obviously need to be close to the fan (ie not in another room) for this to work,