A mum has been praised online for sharing a hack to create a makeshift air-con unit at home using just two household items - as it could help to "save lives" amid the heatwave. Charlotte Russell went viral after posting the video earlier this summer, and as temperatures once again climb into the 30s many Brits will no doubt be looking for ways to keep cool.
The woman, who owns a candle and wax melt company from Leeds, discovered the trick after she tried multiple at-home remedies to help her stay cool during the last heatwave, which saw temperatures hit 40 degrees in some parts of the UK. And there are only two items you need to make the hack work for you too - a fan, and a frozen water bottle.
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Charlotte's video on TikTok saw her put the ice-cold water bottle in front of her fan, so that instead of the fan blowing hot air onto her body as is usually the case with the devices, she got a blast of cool wind.
She said: "It created an effect akin to air conditioning. I discovered the hack after trying to keep my products and the children cool. I wondered if freezing water and blasting it across my products would help. Not only did this mean the wax melts set quickly, but it also left the rest of the room cool and fresh.
"It's saved me during the intense heatwave we are experiencing this year, as I work in very hot conditions. It's also helped the kids to sleep easier when the temperature has been the most extreme we have seen in years."
Keen on sharing her idea with others, Charlotte posted a video to TikTok and soon found herself going viral - racking up over 1.5 million views and 44,000 likes.
In the clip, the mum begins by taking an empty milk carton, before filling this up with water and placing it into the freezer, where she recommends it stays overnight to fully freeze.
Charlotte then places the frozen bottle onto a makeshift stand and puts it in front of her fan, before holding up her hand and taking in the "icy" air.
And the mum believes her hack could be a "life saver" to people in the UK during the hot weather, especially as fans tend to just re-circulate hot air and don't do much to cool down a room.
Users shared their appreciation for the trick in the comments, with many saying it’s come at the perfect time.
One person wrote: "Brilliant! Thank you. Menopausal and Covid positive … couldn't have seen this at a better time."
While another added: "Need to try this!"
Other commenters also offered tips on how to improve the hack even further, with many saying it would be a good idea to move the bottle to the back of the fan, as this is where the air is pulled from.
Someone said: "Put it behind the fan so it draws the cold air from around the bottle instead of blowing hot air around it. Plus then, the bottle doesn't block the fan."
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