Helpful tips for your family & pets during a heatwave
On very rare occasions, the UK will sometimes experience a heatwave! Yes, it’s true! I’m not kidding you. When the UK heatwave hits, it’s all out for us Brits – shorts on, tops off (for the males, that is, I hope!), sliders (and socks?!), flip-flops, paddling pools, beers, BBQ, and salads! A UK heatwave is a pleasant welcome, and we have to embrace it as much as we can because the following week, or even the next day, we could be building snowmen. I’m not exaggerating (much!) Here is my survival guide for a UK heatwave, especially if you have children, but most importantly, just enjoy it.
The following week… or even the day we could be building snowmen. I’m not exaggerating (much!)
Here is my survival guide for a UK heatwave, especially if you have children, but most importantly, just enjoy it.
Stay Hydrated..
This has to be the most important of them all and goes for everyone, including animals. Drink plenty of water. You may have seen the TikTok water bottles but check out these motivational half-gallon bottles with straws. Remember to keep refreshing your pet’s water too.
Don’t forget to drink plenty of water – it’s important for everyone, including animals. You might have seen the TikTok water bottles, but take a look at these motivational half-gallon bottles with straws. Also, make sure to keep refreshing your pet’s water. If you prefer other drinks and run out of fridge space to keep them cool, I highly recommend these reusable ice cubes.If you prefer other drinks and run out of room in your fridge to keep them cool then I’d highly recommend these reusable Ice cubes.
Protect yourself & Your Family from the sun..
It is essential to remember the following information:
How many times have you sat outside for 20 minutes in the heat, thinking you’d be okay? A little 10 minutes won’t hurt, right? Before you know it, you’re slathering yourself with aftersun because that 20 minutes has caused you a whole heap of sunburn.
Sun protection is crucial not only to avoid the discomfort of sunburn but also to prevent skin cancer. Sun protection creams are widely available in most supermarkets, pharmacies, drug stores, and online. They can vary in price, so it’s a good idea to shop around and look for offers. Pay attention to the SPF level (Sun Protection Factor); the higher the SPF, the better.
Babies and children are especially sensitive to the sun, so it’s important to provide them with the appropriate clothing as well as sun protection. Sunglasses, a sun hat, and suitable clothing need to be considered. For more information on how you can prevent sun damage to your young ones, you can find more information HERE. There is some really useful information available.
WARNING: Covering a child’s pushchair or pram with a blanket or any other kind of cover is extremely dangerous. While you may have the best intentions to create shade from the sun, a cover will attract and contain heat. This will make the temperature under the cover significantly higher and will make the child very hot very quickly, which could have severe, if not fatal, consequences.
rt. Before you know it you’re slathering yourself with aftersun because that 20 minutes has caused you a whole heap of sunburn.
Sun protection is essential not only to save yourself the discomfort of sunburn but to prevent skin cancer too. Sun protection creams are widely available in most supermarkets, chemists, drug stores, online etc they can range in price so do shop around and also look for offers. You need to pay attention to the SPF level (Sun Protection Factor) The higher the SPF the better.
Babies & children are especially sensitive to the sun it’s important that you provide them with the appropriate clothing as well as sun protection. Sunglasses, sun hat and clothing need to be considered. For more information on how you can prevent sun damage to your young ones, more information can be found HERE. There is some really useful information.
WARNING
Covering a child’s pushchair or pram with a blanket or any other kind of cover is extremely dangerous. You may have the best intentions to create shade from the sun but a cover will attract and contain heat. The will make the temperature under this cover significantly higher and will make the child very hot very quickly. This will have severe, if not fatal consequences.
Keep it on the Low!
Hot air rises, so being on the highest floor of your building may not be ideal. Unfortunately, if this is your workplace, there is not much you can do about the location. At home, find the coolest room in the house. For me, it’s my living room, as the sun shines through the back of my house from about 11 am onwards, which makes my living room really cool.
Using a fan in this room will help to circulate the cool air. My Facebook group members have recommended keeping curtains closed and windows open, while others say it’s best to keep windows closed. What do you recommend?
We tend to stay downstairs in the living room as long as possible in the heatwave to stay cool for longer. Upstairs just becomes hot and overwhelming sometimes. If it’s cooler to sleep downstairs, also do it!
I’ve heard that opening your loft hatch, if you have one, can also help the hot air flow better to the highest point, making the loft the hottest point of the house rather than lurking in the bedrooms.
Camping tips..
If you are camping and using a tent it could be come a heat trap house. Where possible drape white sheets over your tent or attach them with pegs, as white reflects UV rays. If you are able to wet them hanging up wet, white sheets can really cool things down. Ditch the black as this is the opposite affect and attraWhen camping in a tent, it can become a heat trap. To counteract this, drape white sheets over your tent or attach them with pegs, as white reflects UV rays. If you can, hang up wet, white sheets to cool things down. Avoid using black sheets, as these absorb UV rays. If you are in a camper van or caravan, hang up wet white sheets at the windows.cts UV rays. Even take white bedding if you can. Every little helps!
If you are in a camper van/ caravan hang up wet white sheets at the windows.
Animals & Wildlife..
Wildlife and wild animals depend on us to provide them with water. Please consider leaving a shallow bowl or plate of water in your garden for them. Keep your bird baths filled and regularly check them.
IMPORTANT: PLEASE DO NOT WALK YOUR DOGS IN HOT WEATHER!
Temperatures above 20°C can lead to dehydration and overheating in dogs very quickly. The higher the temperature, the greater the risk to your dog. Even a 1°C increase in temperature raises the risk to your dog. Any temperature over 25°C means it’s definitely not safe to take your dog for a walk!
Food & Cooking..
In hot weather, it’s best to avoid cooking with ovens, grills, or stoves, as they can add unnecessary heat to your home. Instead, opt for lighter meals like salads, takeaways, ice cream, or sandwiches. If you do need to cook, consider using a slow cooker overnight so you don’t have to worry about it during the day, or fire up the BBQ if you enjoy cooking outside.
For grocery shopping, I recommend ordering online to avoid the heat and hassle of navigating a supermarket. To make it easier, it’s helpful to plan your meals ahead of time so you know exactly what you need and can reduce the stress of meal times.
If you must cook perhaps use a slow cooker overnight so you don’t have to fuss about it throughout the day and it’s there ready to be re-heated or, as mentioned earlier – If you like to cook why not spark up the BBQ.
Have Fun..
Love it or loathe the hot weather we have to embrace it. Take this opportunity to just get outdoors. Put down the dishes, the tools , the duster and the hoover. Just go and have fun (safely). OK, I’ll allow you to put a wash on as it’s the practical thing to do in the hot weather and there is nothing better than fresh laundry dried on the washing line.
Here are a few ways that we like to have fun in the sun.
- Have a BBQ – Dig out the BBQ from the back of the shed, dust it off and spark it up. Even invite your friends and family round for a bit of food (ask them to bring a dish if too if you find it will be a struggle to feed everyone)
- Enjoy the great outdoors – Walk the dog, go to the park, visit a local nature reserve, walk along the canal, head out for a picnic.
- Get the pool out – If you are anything like me then you might struggle with this. The reason for this is because I fail to plan ahead. I’m that person who waits until the hot weather arrives before deciding to purchase a swimming pool. By this time, they’ve all sold out. Ahhhh, but not this year, though. This year I found a bargain that was too good to miss. I purchased this 8ft Easyfill pool for just £29.99 bought it, it arrived and I put it away. When the first wave of heat hit us, I was fully prepared and scored a few mum points with that one. I’m not sure if the pool is still available or even for that price but I have linked it HERE for anyone who would like to consider it – It’s amazing!
Other tips from our Facebook Group members..
- Freeze hot water bottles with cold water in instead of hot.
- Put frozen bottles of water in front of your fan.
- Use pet cooling mats for yourself.
- Make a fan fort with an open duvet. Blow the fan air into a duvet cover and sit inside. Check it our HERE
- Run cold water on your wrists.
A FEW DON'TS!
WILD SWIMMING
It can be very tempting to jump into the nearest open water pool. Please do your research on this. We all feel like we know what to expect, we feel we can handle shock from cold water and we can swim, so drowning isn’t going to happen. WRONG! If you are interested in wild swimming, then please take part in organised swims or use pools that allow wild swimming with safety measures in place.
A fantastic place local to me is Stoney Cove, and it is huge! It looks and feels like you are swimming in the wild. It is also a diving centre with an underwater world – it is simply amazing, but not only that… it’s safe!
