Dutch people.
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
@0xabad1dea Unless your house is equally hot as outside (RIP) it's probably better to keep windows closed during the day.
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@0xabad1dea Unless your house is equally hot as outside (RIP) it's probably better to keep windows closed during the day.
@Newde a Dutch house with closed windows in a heat wave is going to be SIGNIFICANTLY hotter than outside.
(assuming you don't have AC running, which most won't.)
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@Newde a Dutch house with closed windows in a heat wave is going to be SIGNIFICANTLY hotter than outside.
(assuming you don't have AC running, which most won't.)
@0xabad1dea @Newde there's some heat inertia. My fifty year old apartment peaked at 29 °C yesterday, 5 degrees lower than outside at the time.
Unfortunately the inertia also means it takes forever to cool down even with a cross-breeze. I've half-seriously considered mounting cooling fins on the walls.
I wonder if spraying water on the walls (for evaporative cooling while the windows are open) is a terrible idea or a *really* terrible idea.
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@0xabad1dea @Newde there's some heat inertia. My fifty year old apartment peaked at 29 °C yesterday, 5 degrees lower than outside at the time.
Unfortunately the inertia also means it takes forever to cool down even with a cross-breeze. I've half-seriously considered mounting cooling fins on the walls.
I wonder if spraying water on the walls (for evaporative cooling while the windows are open) is a terrible idea or a *really* terrible idea.
@barometz @0xabad1dea
That sounds like a pretty bad idea. Probably better to hang wet laundry to dry (thick towels)?My 1920's west/east facing apartment, with big windows only half blinded, is currently 27 degrees. I expect it will be 29 tonight (like yesterday), when I will open the windows.
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house. -
@barometz @0xabad1dea
That sounds like a pretty bad idea. Probably better to hang wet laundry to dry (thick towels)?My 1920's west/east facing apartment, with big windows only half blinded, is currently 27 degrees. I expect it will be 29 tonight (like yesterday), when I will open the windows.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea I don't know about your temperatures, but here in Aachen, we had 25+°C as lowest temperature in the night. So no way in hell to get the temperature indoors below 28°, which I already consider not really cool anymore
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@0xabad1dea Drinking hot/warm tea is actually a good idea
@lennybacon @0xabad1dea Hot drinks make you sweat more. Great for cooling in a dry heat, less so in high humidity.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea Can't wait to move out of my hell apartment with no cross-breeze possibility. Makes managing heat very difficult.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea Properly placed vents also help. And since Monday we do have sun sails to cover the balcony
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
@0xabad1dea
Good general hot weather tips for clothing:* There's a reason loose fitting covering clothes are common in hot climates. You want to create your own portable shade. Loose pants, a linen shirt - something like that is great. If nothing else, at least wear a hat.
* When you go out for school or work, bring a couple extra t-shirts. Being able to change into a fresh, dry t-shirt during the day does wonders for your comfort and for your mood.
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
@0xabad1dea FWIW, we've had some success in keeping a room cooler with reflective window film, like sold for cars. The temporary alternative is just to tape up some kitchen foil to keep the direct sun heat from getting in.
The reflective film was good enough to stay even after getting a portable AC, because we like our bedroom cool for sleeping and it has sunlight on windows from 04-12 during most of the year.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea I am in the US in my 50s and I have finally absorbed and accepted this just this year.
If I open my curtains I also open my windows so I’m not exactly in a greenhouse, but I’ve finally figured out that leaving the curtains and windows closed during the day keeps my apartment cooler. Also, a fan in the window that is blowing in is dumb but I used to do that a lot too. I had a mom who was obsessed with fresh air and I think that’s how I got stuck on this.
My electric usage is much better this year than it was last year at the same time. The bill is higher because our electric company sucks, but I am using less which is still a win for me.
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
@0xabad1dea Soaking your feet in a basin of cool water is another good way to cool and feels sooo nice. Great for people who can’t/don’t want to shower multiple times
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea and exterior window coverings are also essential (can't highlight it enough, it has to be stuck on the outside, be it with tape or more permanent solutions - or you risk creating a greenhouse effect -, using something like kids' drawing paper, the one that comes in big rolls, it works as shading, if you don't have it, something else, the more opaque the better, like packing cardboard, can be used). It does wonders on the outside of the windows, preferably with a small air gap in between to manage higher outside temperatures, stopping sunlight from coming directly into contact with the windows' glass, reducing the temperatures drastically (I live in southwestern Europe and most windows have external roller shades because of it, some of those shades are even insulated themselves to protect the windows behind them).
Alternatively, a living trellis (it's not just a skill on Elder Scrolls games eheh) right in front of the windows reduces temperatures and gives some good shade. -
@0xabad1dea Properly placed vents also help. And since Monday we do have sun sails to cover the balcony
@afx stopping the sunlight from getting directly into the windows is a must during the day.
@0xabad1dea -
@0xabad1dea I don't know about your temperatures, but here in Aachen, we had 25+°C as lowest temperature in the night. So no way in hell to get the temperature indoors below 28°, which I already consider not really cool anymore
@DJGummikuh @0xabad1dea same here in Düsseldorf. Keeping the balcony door open overnight with a fan pulling cool(er) air from outside overnight got my living room back to 24 before it started heating up again.
I’m keeping the AC on and barely managing to keep the house under 27 on average.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea Yeah. Similar. I've always been sceptical about advice to keep windows closed, and don't follow it.
Curtains closed, windows open is the best approach in most typical UK housing.
We're fortunate in having a couple of north-facing windows that never get direct sun, so we can open those curtains.
Also, open windows at different heights, to force air flow. Sash windows are designed for this - open both top and bottom
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Dutch people. Peoples of the North, who lack a strong cultural awareness of how to handle heat waves. Please heed my words
1) Pull all the curtains closed. Reflect sunlight away from the windows. Tape up a bedsheet or something if you don't have curtains or blinds (not that rare in the Netherlands)
2) Open windows on opposite walls of the house, prop open the interior doors with something heavy, get a cross-breeze going. (Yes, the curtains may get flappy. I tucked the end of a long one under my bed mattress to mitigate this)
3) Take a quick shower with water that is only slightly warmed (neither ice cold nor steaming hot). Do this two, three, four times a day if you have to.
4) Similarly, drinking water that is ice cold may sound good but it's liable to give you stomach cramps when you're very hot. Your drinking water shouldn't be more than slightly cool.
@0xabad1dea Yeah this is all sound advice.
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y'all I know that if you have AC (most houses here don't) then obviously the windows should stay closed, or if you have good insulation (lol, whoever rated our apartment was clearly doing some creative math to avoid falling beneath the current legal minimum) that not opening the windows might work out better, assuming you did close the curtains.
But right now Northern Europe is full of people sitting in greenhouse ovens who tell themselves that opening the windows would be counter-productive because outside is where the heat is
I have spent most of my life in places with hot, humid summers like we're having in NL right now and I know what to do when there's no AC. I'm cool and comfortable at the moment in a house with no AC and poor insulation because I'm very proactive about getting the curtains closed and windows open early in the morning before sun hitting glass starts to heat up the house.@0xabad1dea you can also selectively open windows to encourage natural convection, which will help keep the house cool. I use blackout curtains in my bedroom, and they really help keep the sun from nuking the place during the day.
