From Damp Sheets To Yoghurt On Windows: Do These 6 Heatwave Hacks Work?

From cabbage leaves to ice in front of a fan, experts separate heat-beating fact from fiction.

Culture & Parenting Reporter, HuffPost

With record-breaking heat sweeping across the country and around the world, people are increasingly seeking ways to stay cool and turning to all kinds of tips, tricks and folk remedies to do it.

But how many of those heat-beating hacks are actually grounded in science?

HuffPost asked experts to weigh in on some of the most common old wives’ tales about surviving the heat, from damp sheets to cabbage leaves to yoghurt on windows.

The verdict? Some have truth to them, others don’t hold up to scrutiny, and a few could actually backfire depending on the conditions.

1. “Sleeping under a damp sheet cools you down.”

“The ‘Egyptian method’ involves sleeping under a damp sheet to cool down,” Dr. Swapnil Patel, vice chair of the department of medicine at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told HuffPost. “A damp towel can be used as an alternative.”

The cooling effect is the result of a simple evaporation process.

“A lightly damp sheet or cloth can cool through evaporation,” said Dr. Anthony T. Lagina, an associate professor in the department of emergency medicine at Wayne State University, Detroit Medical Center. “As water evaporates from the fabric, it pulls heat away from the skin. This works best in dry, well-ventilated conditions.”

Thus, the effectiveness of sleeping under a damp sheet is limited based on environment. And, the technique can in fact have the opposite effect in the wrong conditions.

“It works poorly in high humidity because water and sweat do not evaporate efficiently,” Lagina explained. “In humid conditions, a damp sheet may feel clammy, disrupt sleep or irritate skin.”

There are other ways to make your sleep environment safe in hot conditions, however.

“To deliver true peace of mind and comfort, I recommend focusing on proven environmental controls such as keeping your bedroom well-ventilated, utilizing lightweight, breathable bedding, taking a cool shower before bed and prioritizing consistent fluid replenishment throughout the day,” said Dr. Scott Braunstein, chief medical officer at Sollis Health.

2. “Smear yoghurt on your windows to keep the heat out.”

The idea behind putting yoghurt on windows – a tip that has circulated in the UK – is that the light-coloured yoghurt forms a thin film on the glass that reflects incoming solar radiation, so less heat passes through the window.

“Putting something reflective on your windows will help keep the sun out and cool your home,” said Anna Bershteyn, an associate professor in the department of population health at NYU Langone Health. “I would suggest a reflective window film, metallic foil or shades rather than yoghurt – that would be more effective and less messy.”

Lagina also advised against putting yoghurt on your windows to keep heat out in favour of more practical options. “It is not a reliable cooling strategy and creates sanitation concerns, including odor, bacterial or mold growth, insects and........

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