Tropical nights, days hotter than Athens... the UK's heatwave has hit and there are plenty of hacks circulating on how to keep cool in the heat. However, do they actually work?
From whether to close your curtains and windows to keep the heat out to how to keep flies out of your house, there seems to be a trick for everything. With few homes in the UK set up for extreme heat, one hack that caught our eye was for 'homemade aircon'.
The simple trick can keep your home cool "for hours" apparently, so one reporter at our sister publication Manchester Evening News took up the challenge and tried it out. Harriet Morphy-Morris says: "With no aircon in sight, this homemade hack can cool you and your room down in seconds and only requires three things - a fan, water and ice."
READ MORE: Live heatwave updates as temperatures to soar and schools shut in Nottinghamshire
Upgrading the output of her home fan, Harriet says: "Although many people feel cooler in front of a fan thanks to the increased air flow, normal fans don't actually do much to cool down your body temperature. Instead, fans push warm air at you which is why this hack is so popular - I tried [the hack] it on the weekend and went from sweaty to airy cool in a matter of five minutes. Better yet, the coolness lasted for about 2 hours".
Here's what she did. Taking a bowl and some iced water, she placed the filled directly in front of the fan and filled it with ice-cold water. She says: "The cool ice air is then circulated out into the room creating a chilled breeze, instead of the normal circulation of hot air.
"You'll want to place the water strategically, to ensure its always in 'air's reach', even when the fan is moving. To avoid the water splashing make sure it reaches just above half-way, and use a medium 2-3 fan setting".
Adding a water saving tip. Harriet goes on to say that to avoid wasting water, you could use frozen water bottles and refreeze them when needed ready for the next hot day.
She continues: "An 'old-fashioned' oscillating blade fan works best, these can be picked up for as little as £10 to £15 at Tesco, as it cuts through and circulates the air a lot quicker. This hack is a lot more affordable than the alternative electric cooling fan, which could set you back between £80 to £400.
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