Brits urged to use own tongue to keep cool in the heatwave without a fan - and other tips

Temperatures are tipped to hit 34 degrees in parts of the UK today, with the country entering the fourth day of an ongoing heatwave. An amber health alert has been issued for the second time in as many weeks - and many people are struggling to manage in the high temperatures, that are even hotter than Barbados.

Throughout the UK, a lot of homes and buildings are designed to keep the heat in, which can make a summer heatwave extra painful - especially if you do not own a fan, or are trying to keep your energy bills down.

Running a fan consistently will unfortunately start to add up - with estimates in 2024 coming in at about £1.26 for nine hours of use. So, if you were trying to cool yourself down with your fan for the entire day, that would be about £3.36 for 24 hours.

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If you have been using one for the entire heatwave this could add about £16.80 to your energy bill, if you're on a variable rate. This will, of course, depend on your energy tariff, and the wattage of your fan, but for some people, a heatwave becomes something of a balancing act between desperately trying to keep cool, and not unexpectedly finding themselves spending extra money.

Equally, fans don't actually lower the temperature in your home, they simply make you feel cooler by providing a bit of a breeze indoors - whilst this makes them a total necessity in some people's minds, there are other ways to give yourself a break from the intense heat, that won't break the bank.

So whether you've been scouring the shops looking for a fan and haven't had any joy, or don't want to splash out on one and its running costs in the first place, The Mirror has got you covered with these top tips.

Shut your windows and blinds

This one might seem counterintuitive, but trust us, it's well worth doing. Keeping your blinds or curtains closed during a heatwave, especially when the window in question is in direct sunlight, will help keep the temperature indoors lower.

This is especially true during the hottest hours of the day between 11 am and 3 pm, but if you're desperate for a bit of fresh air, crack open those windows first thing and once things have cooled down a bit in the evenings.

Creating a cross breeze by opening windows on different sides of your home, and keeping the doors open, will help bring the temperatures down at these times of day. However, swerve doing so during the hotter parts of the day, because likely the air outside is hotter than indoors in the middle of the day, and you'll simply be allowing that heat inside.

Hot water bottles

Whilst the very thought of your hot water bottle might send you shuddering during these high temperatures - it could actually provide some welcome relief.

Hot water bottles work simply by keeping the temperature of whatever liquid you put inside the same, so if you opt to make it really cold, instead of really hot, then your hot water bottle could be your new best friend throughout the sticky nights that parts of the UK are currently enduring.

Dig out your hot water bottle and fill it up to around 3/4 with cold water - not more than this - and then pop it in your freezer for a couple of hours before you head to bed.

This frozen water will help keep your temperature down - and when its contents eventually starts to thaw, simply pop a couple of ice cubes in there to keep it cool for longer.

Breathing techniques

It's a little-known hack, but it turns out we all have one - totally free - cooling system at our disposal: our own breath. Who needs a fan? As reported in Yahoo Life UK, a particular breathing technique can actually help lower your body temperature, and set you up for a good night's sleep.

You will need to sit down for this one, and it's called Sitali breathing. "On inhalation only, curl up your tongue like a straw and sip in your breath through your tongue, the air will feel very cool," reports sleep expert Suzy Reading. "Then close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose. This is a soothing and cooling practice to use before bed to help you relax. Just five minutes can be very effective and is a meditative way to prepare for sleep."

Tinfoil

You likely already have a roll of tinfoil in your kitchen drawers, but if not, it's only going to set you back about £1. Stick the tinfoil - shiny side point out of your home - onto any windows that get direct sunlight, and it will help reflect much of the heat back outside, instead of into your living room.

Windows magnify the heat coming into your home, so sending it straight back with this reflective material could seriously help keep your home cooler.

Freeze your bed sheets

Admittedly, not everyone is going to have enough spare freezer space for this one - but even if you only have room to pop your pillowcases inside your freezer before you head to bed, you could provide yourself some serious relief.

Heatwaves often mean sleepness nights for some people - particularly those who might find it hard to nod off on a good day. Cooling down your sheets or bed linens might just do the trick in helping you get some much-needed rest, as in turn, it will lower your body temperature too.

If this one isn't practical for you, then trying opting to pop sheets on your bed made from breathable fabrics - like linen or cotton - or remove your duvet altogether for the time being, and simply use the cover by itself.

Peppermint Tea

A hot drink might not sound totally appealing right now, but the experts swear by this one - because of the anti-inflammatory properties found in peppermint tea, it can really help cool you down.

"Easy to grow in the garden or in pots, and cheap to pick up in the supermarket, peppermint is the perfect pick me and up and offers a natural way to cool down as the herb's menthol stimulates your body's cooling receptors," Simone Thomas, a nutritionist and wellness coach, told The Mirror.

Simone admits herself that in this kind of heat she "prefers it cool when it's warm outside as it’s so refreshing".

"I also love to make peppermint tea and then freeze it into ice cubes to use later in the day as a further way to keep cool and remain hydrated," she explains.

"You can also add mint and water to a jug of water and call on this natural cocktail all day long when you are feeling the heat and don’t want to hit fizzy drinks".

Piece of paper in the fridge-freezer

This one might sound a bit strange, and whilst it won't actually cool your body down, it will help you make sure that your fridge is functioning properly, as the demands of the heatwave mean it has to work a little harder to keep everything inside it cold.

Sticking a piece of paper in the door can help reveal whether the seal on your fridge freezer is working correctly - and ensure your appliance is not wasting loads of energy.

The paper should be placed halfway in the door, and you need to give it a good tug to see if your appliance is working properly. If it slides out - you may have a problem on your hands, because this indicates the seal isn't strong enough and it may need to be replaced.

If it stays in place, then the seal is in good working order.